Missing in Action (Task Force 779 Book 1)

By K.L. Donn

Seldom do I come across a book that grips me from the very first page.

This one was highly anticipated because I met Ryder Morrison in One Choice, the story of Levi and Hayes, Ryder’s sister. Getting to know KL Donn through her words, I knew, without a doubt, that this one would be epic, but, my gosh… wow.

Dear readers, let me tell you, I made a mistake starting MIA at work. The first few pages, KL Donn’s introduction, and then the prologue… I had to put the book down because I realized that I would be doing a disservice to an author whose writing has come to mean so much to me.

I. AM. AWED.

To summarize, MIA is the story of Ryder, an elite soldier left for dead when he was captured and tortured in enemy territory. Rescued by his team after a year in captivity, he settles in Charleston where he spent several more years getting back on his feet. There, he meets Codie Ray.

Codie is battling demons brought on by the death of her son and the rejection of everyone around her. Blaming herself for her son’s death and believing herself unworthy of forgiveness, she has retreated from the outside world.

Ryder found in Codie his reason for surviving the atrocities he suffered in captivity. Codie found in Ryder her reason to live, to overcome her demons, and to forgive herself.

And I, who love everything this author writes, finally find myself smiling, for she is right—trauma, no matter the cause, may take a long time to heal, but it will.

We only have to dig deep within ourselves to find the courage to reach out and admit, in our hearts, that we need help. And if in reaching out, we are greeted with silence…it does not mean that we are alone in our struggle. It only means that we must listen hard for that tiny voice inside that is shouting “it’s okay to be alive, to go on, to live.

— Boom. Crash. Bang. When will this nightmare end?

— One, two, three seconds was all it took for my world to end.

— The wood slams. Locks click. One, two, three. Thunder claps.

Those three lines? Trauma. Realization and acceptance. Resolve. Eventually, no matter how long it takes, peace.

KL Donn, thank you for Ryder and Codie.