(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When abused wives and other innocent people need to disappear, they contact Alexandra "Alex" Lovell.  The 29-year-old P.I. uses her considerable computer skills to build her clients new lives in distant places.  As long as they follow the rules Alex sets out for them, they remain safe.  Melanie Coghan, the abused wife of an Austin police officer, has broken those rules and Alex fears the worst.  Without a body, she can't be sure Melanie is dead, but it certainly appears to be true.

Desperate to find her missing client, Alex enlists the help of Nathan Devereaux, a sexy homicide detective.  He's skeptical of Alex's claims, but intrigued nonetheless.  With the aid of an elite group of scientists known as the Tracers, the pair make some startling discoveries.  Can they use the clues they've found to figure out what really happened to Melanie?  With Melanie's angry, possibly murderous, husband on her trail, Alex is not exactly safe herself ...

Untraceable, the first book in Laura Griffin's popular Tracers series, is a taut, exciting mystery filled with plenty of action.  It's not terribly original or surprising (it only offered one twist I didn't see coming), but the main characters are empathetic and likable.  There's definite chemistry between Alex and Nathan, which adds a fun subplot to the novel.  While I didn't absolutely love Untraceable, I found it entertaining and enjoyable.  I've already checked the next book in the series out from the library.

(Readalikes: I'm sure there are lots of similar books/series, but nothing is coming immediately to mind.  Help!)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, sexual content, and violence

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find