Ben Rehder, Gone the Next

This is another book that somehow has been sitting unread on my (virtual) shelves for years. And while it's languished on my Kindle, the author has added another four books to the series, now seven books strong. Gone the Next introduces Roy Ballard, a charming smart alec who pays his bills by investigating insurance fraud. That means he stakes out insurance claimants hoping to film them exercising or picking up heavy objects when their alleged injuries should preclude it. It's a stakeout that lands him in some trouble in this first outing: while on duty, Roy catches sight of a child who's been all over the news. But try convincing the police that you saw a kidnapped girl when you've got a history like Roy's! The book also introduces a small cast of characters to flesh out Roy's world—a love interest, an accomplice, a policeman with whom he's mostly at odds. I liked the characters. I liked the story. Mostly I liked Roy's personality, and I'm glad he's got a series wrapped around him.