Forgive Me

Angie DeRose is a Private Investigator who has a strong passion for helping those lost, be found. She hunts relentlessly for the truth along with her helpers Mike and Bao Each have their own strengths and together their talents unite for the greater good.

Nadine Jessup is 16 and dying to get away from home. Her mother's addiction is unbearable and her father is too distracted with his new family to be involved. One day she decides to make it on her own and runs away from home. This decision changes not only her family life, but also Angie DeRose's family life in catastrophic ways.

Ignorance is bliss, that is, until pieces of truth lead one out of paradise. The more pieces of truth that are found, the more puzzling life becomes for these characters.

There was a lot of activity in this book. I personally found this to be frustrating at times because there were several plot lines going on simultaneously. The book begins with a plot involving Angie's mother, then moves to a plot regarding Nadine's adventure of running away from home. The climax and resolution of that plot leads to a continuation of the initial plot regarding Angie's mother. It felt disorganized at times, in my opinion. Furthermore, I was frustrated at the in-depth details regarding each character's attire, regardless of how major the role of each character was. Additionally, there was extensive descriptions of guns as well as procedures followed by U.S. Marshals, hackers, and FBI agents. Another annoyance that I had with this book was that there were many minute characters but all of them had names. The description was lengthy in all of these cases and felt more like fillers than necessary information. It felt, to me, like the speed of the plot halted at each of these points.

On the other hand, I will state that the author clearly did an extensive amount of research for this book. It should also be noted that human trafficking is a sensitive, somewhat taboo, subject and was approached well. I did like the action scenes as well as the surprises when they came. In the end, I gave the book 3/5 stars because I found myself skipping over paragraphs because I knew the description would be extensive and useless.

For those who may be sensitive, there is physical violence, gun violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse, alcoholism, drug use, sex trafficking, prostitution, and murder in this book. I only observed foul language used twice and both times were towards the end of the book.

Please note: A copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A private investigator uses her resources and her instincts to solve two mysteries at the same time, one of them tied to her own family. As one mystery begins to wrap up, she finds the other getting more entangled and must question everything she knows as truth to solve it. Author Daniel Palmer offers readers a riveting look inside the world of trafficking and the profession of private investigating in the well-intentioned novel Forgive Me.

Angie DeRose spends her days looking for runaways. A strong personal reason drives her: as a college student she lived through the horror of the disappearance of one of her best friends. Angie keeps a picture of her friend on the wall along with photos of all the runaways she’s brought home safely. She’s determined to bring her friend home too one day.

In the meantime, Angie receives a new case. A sixteen-year-old has left home. The facts of the case seem fairly clear cut to Angie: Nadine, an only child, probably ran away because of her alcoholic mother and absentee father. Despite Nadine’s dreadful home life, Angie knows she needs to be found.

As she begins piecing together the last days that Nadine’s mother saw her, Angie finds out that her own mother has died. She splits her time between her parents’ home and Nadine’s case, and in the process of helping her father clean out her mother’s belongings Angie makes a disturbing discovery. Bits and pieces of an alternate life begin to surface, and Angie’s instincts make her start to question everything she thought she knew about her mother and her own life.

In another part of the region, Nadine discovers that life as a runaway can have grave consequences. A handsome man lures her with the promise of becoming a famous model. Following the bread crumbs he drops for her, Nadine makes her way into a forest of dark intentions. Now she waits and hopes for someone who can bring her back to the trail.

Author Daniel Palmer takes readers into the world of runaways and the dismal world of trafficking. The book falls into two parts, one following Nadine and the other following Angie. The sections from Nadine’s point of view will keep readers deeply engaged all the way to the end of the book. Palmer hits all the right notes of a teen’s way of thinking, and it’s easy to follow Nadine’s rationale as she tries to escape her home life. The one objection readers might have is that Palmer allows Nadine’s arc to come to a resolution before the end of the book, which shortens the time spent with her.

By stark contrast, the portions from Angie’s point of view come across as much less polished. The clunkiness of the words Palmer chooses gets in the way of the story. The result is excessive narrative and dialogue that weigh down Angie’s arc. A convoluted subplot involving Angie’s family may also leave readers underwhelmed.

The glaring differences between the characters’ trajectories might lead readers to wonder whether the two points of view were written by two different authors. Angie’s might not have as much of an impact as Nadine’s, but the teen’s circumstances more than make up for the protagonist’s lacking story. I recommend readers Borrow Forgive Me.

(I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Great cover. The book, 10 Stars!!

Totally A M A Z I N G !

FORGIVE ME, without a doubt "Top Books" of the Year. Movie-Worthy. Daniel Palmer's BEST yet! Palmer's (2015) Constant Fear and Trauma both landing on my Top Books of 2015. Once again . . .

Highly Impressive: The author has produced two more "out of the park" hits, landing again on my Top Books of 2016: Mercy Coming May 17, and Forgive Me, Coming May 31. Palmer must have superman qualities to crank out two extraordinary bestsellers in the same month, for two consecutive years. Your dad would be proud.

As the book opens we learn of a woman, with tear stained eyes, writing a check and a note. She whispers the same phrase she has spoken every year on this day, at this exact moment. “May God forgive me.” Some dreams come at a price.

Set in Virginia (parts in Maryland and Washington), Angie DeRose is a Private Investigator at DeRose & Associates. She had gone into business with a purpose, but had been naïve about the depth of human cruelty. Each case was like turning over a rock to see what sort of horror might slither out. She took it all to heart, carried with her the emotion of what she saw every day.

From runaways or child custody cases, she went overboard to get results, to get proof in order to protect the child. From abuse, neglected, drug addicted parents- the world, a broken place. Her best friend Sarah had vanished without a trace her senior year of college. Missing. She longed to do something to honor her memory and her spirit. Her mission to find the runaway kids and take them back home.

Nadine, a sixteen-year- old caught in world between divorced parents, living with an alcoholic and abusive mother, and an absentee wealthy father-- with a new life and family. Often no food in the refrigerator, and her mom drunk most of the time. She decides to leave. A runaway with no plan. Just to escape, and hopefully someone would notice. Innocent and vulnerable, the perfect candidate (victim) for an evil monster---a master manipulator. Lurking to find runaways, like Nadine.

She is naïve and trusts this man, and soon finds herself in a prison, a nightmare, which she cannot escape. Soon she is drugged, locked in – her phone and wallet gone. No escape. Each day she writes in a journal and hides it in slot in her mattress. She will do anything to escape being put in the hole. Tortured, drugged, abused, locked in with men watching her every move along with the other girls—how will she ever escape?

The DeRose family was well-respected, her dad ran DeRose Financial a financial service firm specializing in investing in high net worth individuals, and Kathleen, her mom, a big fund raiser. Her mom always wanted Angie to meet a man, but Angie was too busy with her business to have time for dating. She was on call 24/7. Her only other extended family-- her stand in, aunt and uncle-friends of her parents.

Soon Angie is hired to help find Nadine. While she is busy with the case tracking down leads with her employees, Angie receives some tragic news. Her mom dies unexpectedly and when cleaning out her things she comes across a photo of a little girl around four years old missing an ear. There is a code on the bottom with letters and numbers. On the back is a message, “May God forgive me.”

Angie, with her keen detective skills, has to crack this code. How was her mom connected with this child? Between the intense case of Nadine, suspecting sextrafficking, and the ongoing mystery surrounding this photo, Angie is surrounded by danger. What dark family secrets could her parents be hiding? Her mom was one of the most caring and giving women she knew.

Bao, a former runaway Angie had found, and was later adopted. A few years later after he turned twenty, he went to work for Angie as a certified computer forensic consultant. He provided incredible assets—not only with his only skills and expertise at the keyboard, but also because he knew how runaway kids thought. She also works with Mike (another former client in a custody case), who also runs another business and helps with her overflow. (A great team).

When Nadine’s case becomes top priority, the FBI is now involved and Bryce Taggart, the US Marshal is working with Angie. She connects with him to help her with answers of the haunting little girl in the photograph. However, she has no clue the dangerous past they are about to uncover. There are enemies who will stop at nothing to protect their secret.

Angie, a tenacious, unstoppable PI. A family secret. A mysterious photograph. A little girl without an ear. A code. A missing teen. Witness protection. Angie is haunted by Sarah, and Nadine haunted by Jade. Both victims, they have to save.

OMG, the suspense and intensity is at an all time high. Nothing plays out as you think. Fast-paced, non-stop action-- adrenaline fueled, readers will be page-turning to find answers to this riveting mystery. What made this book so unforgettable (more than one thing). The heart wrenching journal entries. I loved "Girls Like Me" by Nadine Jessup. Palmer captures Nadine, her essence, her soul, her intimate feelings --getting inside a sixteen-year-old girl's mind. From the dialect, social media, fears, dreams, and the innermost sensitive thoughts. I was moved to tears--very emotional. The story goes beyond sex-trafficking and abuse. What comes next?. The after. We seldom think of the real psychological tragedy someone experiences.

“There’s just different experiences we can choose to learn from, to grow from, or choose to let define us. Not everything happens for a reason, but there is reason everything happens. Real life isn’t neat and tidy like that. It doesn’t get tied up in a cute little bow. That’s for fairy tales, right? We know those fairy tale endings aren’t real, but we can still dream. We can still believe. Hope."

Next, the two separate storylines. Brilliant! Both stories will keep you glued to the pages (like a book inside a book); Shocking twists you do not see coming --how the photograph plays out. Masterminds.

Beautifully written, powerful, explosive, skillfully developed, impeccably researched; A highly-charged inter-generational mystery suspense thriller of dark evil secrets. "A must read" for every teen and adult, worldwide. Emotional, complex, suspenseful, highly-innovative, and "jaw-dropping," edge of your seat thriller. A double whammy--two books in one. From twists and turns, shockers, missing and exploited teens, runaways, drugs, sex-trafficking, alcoholism, greed, corruption, and murder, to age-old crimes; an ongoing mystery--Connects. Told from different POVs.

Please, please, please . . let this be the beginning of a series! These characters HOOK you from page one, and "hang" long after the book ends. They are way TOO good to end. More Angie, Nadine, Bryce, Bao, Mike (Jade, Sarah, Sasha). Each of the characters learn from the other in some way.

After finishing the book at 5 am this morning (no, you cannot put it down)-- the vivid characters continue to haunt me, running through my mind constantly, during my 50 mile bike ride today.

Daniel, words cannot adequately express my thoughts and strong feelings for this "talented work of art". I am speechless. You, sir have outdone yourself. #Amazeballs (taking a page from your book). You ARE cool, like that. Evocative journal entries Award-winning! Would love to hear more about the inspiration behind this intriguing book (both stories) with an author Q&A.

Informative & enlightening—21 million people, just like Nadine. Forced labor takes different forms, including debt bondage, sextrafficking and other forms of modern slavery. The victims are the most vulnerable – women and girls forced into prostitution.

This is a big one. Epic! Move FORGIVE ME to the top of your list and Order Now.

I liked the first part of this book which focused on the disappearance of Nadine, a 16 year old girl who got caught up in a human trafficking ring.

The private investigator, Angie DeRose of DeRose and Associates is a super protagonist and I liked her main associates (she has lots of associates) Mike and Bao. They really added to the story.

The story was strong, the characters, especially the bad guys, were described in fine detail and I liked the direction the tale was headed - as much as you can like a story about scumbucket traffickers and the selling of young children for sex.

Then about 2/3 of the way through the book the storyline shifted 180° and a whole new BIG story came onboard.

It was too much. It needed to separate into another book and be expanded out. It didn't belong in Nadine's story. I think both stories got shortchanged by writing it this way.

I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Forgive Me by Daniel Palmer is a fast paced thriller dealing with the difficult subject of human trafficking.
This book is made up of two stories. The first part of the book focuses on the disappearance of Nadine , a 16 year old girl , caught in the horrific web of sex trafficking. Angie a PI driven by the disappearance of her college friend, specializes in finding runaways and is hired by Nadine’s mom . Nadine’s ordeal is described to us by her journal writings and is heartbreaking to read.
Meanwhile during her search for Nadine Angie’s mother passes away leaving a picture of a little girl with a code and the words “May God forgive me” written in the back. The second half of the book concentrates on Angie trying to solve this mystery and trying to find what happened to the little girl in the picture .
The first half of the book was very compelling and writing keeps you completely engrossed . The characters were very well developed but the second half of the book was disappointing, it felt very rushed and Angie’s character that was shown to be very strong , and practical comes across as being a spoilt brat . I would rate this book 3 ½ stars and will look forward to more by Daniel Palmer
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Daniel Palmer never fails to deliver. His book on child trafficking and a family mystery as a subplot, is why you want to make to sure you're not disturbed for long periods of time. He is by far one of my favorite authors as he never disappoints. Whether writing on his own behalf or the medical mysteries under his late dad, Michael Palmer and Daniel Palmer, you know characters will be well developed, plot will be facinating, and you'll dread when the book ends. But another will come again soon.

The part about Nadine etc is interesting but the other storyline with Angie is so incredibly boring that I almost quit reading it several times.

No question, this may Daniel Palmer's finest book to date! It was such a great read and I was unable to put it down. The two stories told in Forgive Me are fast paced with many twists.

I highly recommend Forgive Me and once you get it, you wont be able to put it down. Daniel has become a top tier Thriller writer!

3.5* Daniel Palmer has tackled a difficult subject for the basis of this book; namely human trafficking. It is clear he has done his homework as Palmer presents a profound portrayal of one of the victims, Nadine. She is a 16 year old runaway leaving behind an alcoholic mother and a father who left with a younger woman and now has no time for his daughter. Alone and vulnerable, wandering aimlessly in Union Station, Nadine is approached by a well dressed, smooth talking man. The predator is very good at deception and providing tantalizing promises as Nadine walks along beside him, unaware that she is about to enter a life she could never imagine. Another plot unfolds early in the book, when a private investigator, Angie DeRose is hired to try and locate Nadine. Unexpectedly, Angie has stumbled upon a hidden note written by her mother that suggests there are secrets to be discovered about her own family. The author easily goes back and forth between both stories offering suspense, fast action, and a slew of well developed characters. Forgive Me is a gripping book presenting a soulful tale of what it is like for millions of women held in captivity with no escape from the life they have been trapped in.

** A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **

Forgive Me by Daniel Palmer contains two mysteries that intertwine throughout into one thriller that completely left me guessing until the end!
Angie DeRose is the head of DeRose & Associates Private Investigations. The associates are all friends with differing skills that help out as needed and are an interesting set of secondary characters. Angie’s main focus is recovering runaways and the lost. She is hired to bring Nadine, a young high school runaway from a dysfunctional family home. This mystery has Angie delving into underage prostitution and the sex-slave trade epidemic. To read Nadine’s journal is to truly have your heart breaking.
As the search for Nadine continues, Angie’s mother dies and as she and her friend are going through her mother’s boxes in the attic, she finds a haunting picture of a little girl with a code and the words “May God forgive me” written in her mother’s hand on the back. Her father claims to know nothing about the picture. Angie just can’t let it go and continues to dig with the help of her friends and Bryce Taggart, a US Marshal, who is interested in Angie and helping with both of her mysteries.
Angie is a strong and believable main character. All of the secondary characters keep you entertained with humor and/or strong emotions. Mr. Palmer’s writing is crisp and easy to read with a fast pace to the climax that surprises. The two plot lines are woven together into one terrific read!
Thank you to Kensington Books and Net Galley for the free copy of this egalley in exchange for an honest review.