Laura Elvebak

Niki Alexander, counselor of runaway teens at the Open Palms Shelter, becomes involved in the investigation into the murder of a young woman from Mexico when Barky, a runaway, finds the woman’s body near a small boy hiding behind a dumpster. Barky, afraid he will be blamed for the murder, turns the boy over to Niki. The traumatized boy refuses to talk but connects with Niki and she is reluctant to hand him over to child protective services. Not long after he is placed with a foster family, he disappears and Niki, feeling guilty, is determined to find him. So are homicide investigator Luis Perez and his partner Nelson Spalonetti, who suspect the dead woman was a drug mule and that the small boy may have witnessed her murder. Niki turns to the street for answers to the boy’s whereabouts while peripherally teaming up with Nelson Spalonetti. As they follow clues to a case that becomes more complex as it develops, the attraction between Niki and Nelson heats up, as does the unknown danger awaiting them.

Lost Witness is Elvebak’s second thriller featuring teen counselor Niki Alexander. Niki is an intriguing character, a former police officer who quit the force after tragically shooting a teenage boy and now is committed to helping runaways so they don’t suffer the same fate. Elvebak delivers a well-written mystery, set against the colorful backdrop of Houston, Texas. The galvanizing plot is filled with twists and turns and enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing throughout. Characters are realistic and credible, and Elvebak’s portrayal of runaways insightful and empathetic.… (meer)

Lost Witness - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

'Barky looked forward to celebrating his sixteenth birthday by getting high. He grinned at his reflection in the storefront window, admiring the Mohawk he had shaped with a discarded razor in the Shop-N-Stop restroom. With a furtive sweep of the street, he veered off onto a gravel drive behind a strip mall. Satisfied no one could see him, he two-fingered the blunt from his jeans pocket. Soo-weeeet!... A noise distracted him and he coughed out smoke. His eyes snapped open. He froze. Sounded like a rat. Barky hated rats, terrified they'd find him asleep in some doorway and use his skinny-ass body for an appetizer.'

Barky is a street kid and when he picks up a tire iron and goes in search of the rat that interrupted his birthday celebration he found instead the beaten body of a woman. But that's not all he found. Hidden behind the dumpster was the woman's child who clung to Barky like glue. Wednesday was "Street Church" night so when he spotted Niki in the crowd he decided she would be the perfect person to turn his little friend over to. Niki is an ex-police officer who works as a counselor at Open Palm, a shelter for street kids. Barky was one of her "kids" so he knew she would take good care of the little boy.

After talking to the police, Niki learns that the child's mother was a drug mule smuggling drugs from Mexico into Houston. As much as she would love to keep him, Niki knows that she must turn him over to social services who will place him in a foster home. But when he turns up missing, she will leave no rock unturned until she finds him.

Lost Witness is a spell binding story that involves murder, drugs and love. It gives you the insite of what really goes on in the minds of the kids that have been swept out into the streets by parents and society. It gives you hope that people like Niki really do exist and their devotion to these kids will making a difference. Plus, Lost Witness will make you realize that the drug dealers will stop at nothing to acquire their drugs and make their sales. This was a very intense book that I couldn't put down… (meer)

After shooting a teenager in self-defense, homicide investigator Niki Alexander quits the force and turns to counseling at a teen shelter. Although Niki works hard to help runaway teens, she is haunted by guilt over the shooting. Abandoned by her father several months earlier, Jessica Keeling lives on the street, going by the name of Jade. When she wakes up next to a dead man, Jade panics and flees the scene, only to disappear. Jade’s friend Rube, convinced Jade isn’t running from the police but that someone has taken her, implores Niki to help him find her. Niki’s former partner, Luis Perez, searching for the young woman seen running away from the dead man, teams up with Niki to try to find Jade. Their investigation uncovers crimes of a more serious nature: the mutilated bodies of missing teen girls.

Elvebak delivers a gritty mystery focusing on the sad and traumatic lives of runaway teens. Plenty of red herrings are offered along with a suspenseful plot and realistic characters. Elvebak’s credible dialogue enhances the story, which moves at a fast pace. Visual imagery is at times graphic, although essential to this well-written thriller.… (meer)