Advance Reader's Copy/Uncorrected Proof. Collectible item. An Advance Reader's Copy (ARC) is a paperback book published prior to the hardcover retail editions. These uncorrected proofs are published in very limited quantities. Many serious collectors consider ARCs/Uncorrected Proofs to be the true first edition. They're "not for sale" because they're intended solely for publicity and media reviews, making them rare and very collectible. ARCs may lack the final artwork, formatting, and binding of the finished product. The text of an advance edition may also differ slightly from the market book (the final version that is distributed for sale), because changes may be made after advance readers make comments or find errors in the manuscript. The brutal murder of a business tycoon leaves Afton Tangler and the Twin Cities reeling, but that’s just the beginning of a gruesome crime spree... Leland Odin made his fortune launching a home shopping network, but his millions can’t save his life. On the list for a transplant, the ailing businessman sees all hope lost when the helicopter carrying his donor heart is shot out of the sky. Now with two pilots dead and dozens injured, Afton Tangler, family liaison officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, is drawn into the case. As she and her partner investigate family members and business associates, whoever wants Leland dead strikes again—and succeeds—in a brazen hospital room attack. The supposedly squeaky clean millionaire has crossed the wrong person—and she’s not finished exacting her revenge. The case explodes into an international conspiracy of unbridled greed and violence. And as Afton gets closer to unearthing the mastermind behind it, she gets closer to becoming collateral damage... Editorial Reviews Review Praise for Little Girl Gone “Out of a swirling Minnesota snowstorm, a new hero trudges triumphantly off the pages of Gerry Schmitt’s new thriller…Little Girl Gone is taut and tense, a great tale to jump-start the Afton Tangler series. A sequel, as surely as Sandford’s Lucas Davenport lives and breathes, is already in the works. Readers of this gripping debut will find themselves hoping it’s a short wait.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune “Schmitt fills her thriller with numerous twists and builds it to a heart-pounding conclusion...Fans of Midwest noir—think John Sandford—will revel in this nightmarish tale, admire Schmitt for her courageous departure and eagerly await Afton’s next case.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch “Gerry Schmitt has written a propulsive thriller that will keep you reading late into the night. Do I really have to wait a year for another Afton Tangler book?”—James O. Born, author of Scent of Murder “It’s always fun to watch a talented author stretch her wings...Schmitt gets everything right.”—St. Paul Pioneer Press “Taut [and] eerie...Sticks with you long after you’ve finished it.”—Grant Blackwood, author of Tom Clancy Under Fire “The Afton Tangler mysteries promise to be as tantalizing as any of the current standard police thrillers. I’m thinking Lisa Scottoline meets Lee Childs.”—The Bourne Enterprise About the Author Gerry Schmitt is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty-five mysteries, including the Afton Tangler Thrillers, as well as the Tea Shop, Scrapbooking, and the Cackleberry Club mysteries, written under the pen name Laura Childs. She is the former CEO of her own marketing firm, has won dozens of TV and radio awards, produced two reality TV shows, and invests in small businesses. She and her professor husband enjoy collecting art, traveling, and have two Shar-Peis.