Wow. I went into this thinking it was going to be a dark romance set against the backdrop of a mystery and that is not what I got at all. What I found was a dark and winding thriller filled with lies, betrayal and twisted desires. This book snatched my attention from the very first sentence and I was unable to put it down. It's one of those stories that leaves you thinking long after it's done, and questioning your own morals when you alternately feel sympathy for the devil and disgust for people you like but who have done horrible things. You don't know who is the good guy, who is the bad, and if you are expecting the author to guide you in this process, you'd be mistaken. 
 The book description tells of two different girls that go missing nine years apart, but Gun Shy is not so much the story of these girls who are gone, but the tale of those left behind. Leo, the boy who never really had a chance to get out of the small town because of the actions of others. Cassie, the girl Leo loves and the one he unintentionally destroyed. Damon, the sheriff and only family that Cassie has. These are just three of the people in a larger cast of characters that make up the town of Gun Creek. Everyone has secrets, and no one is entirely innocent. And saying any more will give away a story that needs to be read. 
 From the first page until I was done, this book immersed me in the cold and desolate town of Gun Creek. I had to look around at times to realize where I actually was, and then would get sucked back into the minds of these people. I couldn't put down this unexpected mind game of a book.