As director of social and educational activities at Rainy Creek Gardens Retirement Village in Seattle, Charlotte Sawyer is cautious and careful about everything she does; the opposite of her stepsister Jocelyn Pruett, a fund-raiser for a wealthy entrepreneur's foundation. While Jocelyn is out of town on a month-long, tech-free retreat, Charlotte checks the mail at her condo and finds an unusual envelope with three keys inside and a cryptic note from one of Jocelyn's best friends, Louise Flint. When Charlotte can't reach Louise by phone, she goes to her apartment. W What she finds there is shocking.

Louise Flint is dead. Investigating her death is PI Max Cutler, hired by Louise's cousin. He's convinced Louise did not die from a drug-overdose or suicide, as officials determined, but was murdered, especially since her condo was torn apart. Max offers to help Charlotte contact her stepsister to inform her of Louise's death, but Jocelyn se seems to have vanished. What do the keys unlock? And what se secrets are to be exposed?

Max had been a criminal profiler, but circumstances forced him to leave that career. He's trying to establish himself as a corporate private investigator, but jobs are scarce. Max needs this case to prove himself, and working with the intriguing Charlotte is a bonus. Max's interest in Charlotte soon becomes more personal than professional. She's authentic and real and they easily understand each other. Working together as "partners" proves interesting an and enlightening, as well as fervent, for both of them.

Their search takes them to Loring, Washington, a location with ties to Jocelyn and Louise's other close friends in an unusual investment club. When another death occurs, and Max and Charlotte are almost killed in Loring looking for missing evidence of a cold case they've uncovered, they know they're getting close. The contents of that missing evidence box have been worth a fortune in blackmail for the past ten years. But they have no idea how deep the cover-up go goes, or how many people will do whatever it takes to stop ex exposing the awful truth.

The brilliant and incomparable Jayne Ann Krentz has penned yet another impressive romantic suspense, with the perfect amount of romance and suspense, in WHEN ALL THE GIRLS HAVE GONE. As always, her exhilarating plot progression and emotional characterization is spot-on. I've been reading, and thoroughly enjoying, Krentz's novels for many years, and I'm always excited when a new one is due to be released. Yes, the storyline elements are consistent and readers know what to expect from her books, but her expertise at developing those unique elements is what makes her such a popular wordsmith. And keeps her legions of fans coming back for more! It's knowing that my expectations will always be met when reading one of her novels, be it romantic suspense, historical romance or paranormal romance, which makes it such a wonderful experience and exciting escapism.