Private investigator Brenna Spector has a condition known as Hyperthymestic Syndrome. This is an extremely rare disorder that allows perfect recall of any memory including the use of all five senses. It surfaces in various ways depending on who has it. For Brenna, a simple trigger can propel her instantly into a past memory so strongly that she has to have methods to keep herself in the present. While it can be a difficult thing to live with, it also helps in her job of investigating missing persons.

Brenna has a teenage daughter and an ex-husband that she can't seem to move beyond even though he's been remarried for seven years. She also has a quirky assistant named Trent, who's a computer genius but also thinks of himself as quite the ladies' man. She and Trent make a great professional team. Brenna chose her line of work because when she was young, her older sister disappeared and she hopes that, one day, she'll be able to find her even though it's been many years since the disappearance.

Even though Brenna is very good at her job, she wasn't able to find a 6 year old little girl named Iris Neff who disappeared more than ten years ago. That case still haunts her because she was unable to solve it and because of the one clue that may just tie her disappearance to Brenna's sister. Now, she's been called in by Nelson Wentz, to look into the disappearance of his wife, Carol. Oddly enough, it turns out that Carol has a connection to Iris Neff and her mother Lydia.

Brenna meets with Nelson and discovers immediately that Carol had many secrets in her life; secrets that Nelson had no idea of even though he thought he knew everything there was to know about his wife. Now, it seems that Carol has vanished along with her secrets. The only clue is the discovery of Carol's wallet in the living room of the Neff house. No one had lived there in years so what purpose could Carol have had for being there? Tony Morasco is a police detective that joins in with Brenna's search for Carol and he seems to have a few secrets of his own.

When Carol is finally found, it only causes even more of a mystery. Not only that, but there are many murders happening in the area that all seem to lead back to the disappearance of Iris Neff. Before the victims can share any knowledge they may have, they're effectively eliminated. And no one knows where Lydia Neff has gone off to for the last two years.

Told through several points of view, AND SHE WAS is a gripping story with so many twists and turns, you'll be shocked at how it all turns out because you just won't see it coming. You'll be taken by the hand on the investigation with Brenna, which makes this even a more fascinating book. Alison Gaylin has crafted a very captivating and edge of your seat book. Happily, there's a sequel coming out later this year and I can't wait. Her characters are quite three dimensional and easy to care about or hate. Treat yourself to AND SHE WAS. You're going to love it!