The Cryptic Clue by Amanda Hampson

July 10, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Cryptic Clue by Amanda Hampson
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Historical, Cozy Mystery
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Look who’s back in hot water! The highly anticipated new novel in The Tea Ladies cosy crime series, a runaway bestseller of the year. Available for pre-order now!

Welcome back to Zig Zag Lane in the heart of Sydney’s rag-trade district, where our intrepid tea ladies, Hazel, Betty and Irene, have their work cut out. Solving a murder, kidnapping and arson case, and outwitting an arch criminal, earned them the respect of a local police officer. Now he needs their assistance to help solve a plot that threatens national security.

As if that’s not enough, Irene gets a coded message directing her to the spoils of a bank robbery, which sends the tea ladies on a treasure hunt with an unexpected outcome.

There’s also trouble brewing within the walls of Empire Fashionwear, where an interloper threatens not just Hazel’s job but the very role of tea lady. It’s up to Hazel to convince her friends to abandon their trolleys and take action to save their livelihoods – before it’s too late.

Hazel and her fellow Tea Ladies are back for another rollicking adventure. It’s 1966 in Sydney, Australia and the world is moving along at a fast pace. The Sydney Opera house is being built to much political posturing and arguments, the fashion warehouses are changing their designs with the new short skirt craze gripping the world, and the Tea Ladies are banding together to save their livelihoods as a new Café-Bar machine threatens their very jobs. Can Hazel and her friends successfully navigate everything while still sharing the best cuppa around?

I really enjoyed this historical cosy mystery story. Hazel and her fellow tea ladies all came across to me as well rounded and deeply empathetic characters, even Irene who was absolutely somewhat out of the usual mould for a well-aged working class woman. I definitely think readers who haven’t read the first book in this series can easily pick this story up by itself. The characters are all well explained and this book is quite separate from the first. The strong relationships between the ladies doesn’t need too much explanation and their solid friendship and history is easily understood.

I thought it was quite a well written book. Not necessarily a mystery in the usual sense as there were at least three or four main sub-plots all threaded together and unwinding at their own pace. Many of these were very neatly tied up by the end of the book but I did feel a few of these plots didn’t have a final conclusion as yet – Pixie and her new line in particular I feel will likely show up in the next book for a bit more action. I really enjoyed the slower pace of the mysteries and the quite cosy feel the story as a whole had. I feel readers who like historical based novels – or just a slower plot in general should absolutely find this an excellent book.

That said, I absolutely found the mysteries to be well plotted and quite entertaining. A lot seems to be happening in this book and so while I don’t feel it’s action-orientated or fast moving, the author really has crammed a lot into the space of this one book. I am very eager for the next in the series and hope there are many more to come. I also found it quite refreshing that Hazel and her friends are not young woman – and really aren’t even middle-aged as such but more a little older than that, while still being completely fit and healthy and certainly of a working age with all the wisdom and patience that comes from having been around the block a time or two before.

Fun and interesting, with complicated and layered characters this is an excellent book and one I can strongly recommend.

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August Origins by Alan Lee

July 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


August Origins by Alan Lee
Publisher: Sparkle Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Private Investigator Mackenzie August moves to Roanoke to start over.
So does a criminal kingpin nicknamed The General.

The town isn’t big enough…

After years as a Los Angeles homicide detective, Mackenzie August has traded flashing lights for quiet streets, single fatherhood, and the occasional dull PI job. But peace doesn’t last long. When Sheriff Andie Stackhouse shows up with a folder of murdered girls and a plea for help, Mackenzie finds himself drawn into a case that’s equal parts tragedy and trap.

The victims are young. The killings are savage. And the trail leads straight into the halls of a local high school, where a rising gang leader known only as *the General* is recruiting soldiers and burying secrets.

Against his better judgment, Mackenzie poses as a teacher, pushing his cover story to the limit. Between the dangerous charms of a beautiful attorney named Ronnie, and the deadly cat-and-mouse hunt unfolding around him, Mackenzie must confront what he left behind in Los Angeles: the part of himself that’s willing to break the rules to do what’s right.

Mackenzie August has left Los Angeles and the police department behind him. Moving back home to Roanoke, Virginia, Mack starts fresh in a newly purchased house with his father and Mack’s toddler son. Barely making ends meet as a local PI he’s cautiously intrigued when the local Sheriff wants him to return to the local high school to teach English and while undercover find out about the local drug trafficking. Mack’s life quickly gets complicated and dangerous.

I purchased this book on a whim and am very, very glad I did. I found this story to be a gripping hard-boiled detective series and strongly reminiscent of Robert Parker’s Spenser series. While Mackenzie’s character is absolutely his own and unique, I do admit that the feel and tone of the book was very comfortable and familiar to me. I knew within the first few pages that I’d enjoy the book and I was proved happily correct.

There is a good cast of primary characters around Mack and I look forward to them hopefully being depend and expanded upon over the course of this series. This first book is an excellent one for setting the scene and introducing everyone and I am eager to keep going. The plot is well woven and an interesting – but standard – detective mystery. I half guessed (got some parts and missed others) a lot of what was going on but still vastly enjoyed the ride and even enjoyed all the pieces coming together at the end.

There were a few threads left hanging – which knowing this is only the first book in an ongoing series didn’t bother me at all. While there is not a cliffhanger ending the final chapter does begin to pave the way for where I expect the second book is going.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have already purchased the second in the series and am eager to get into it. Readers who enjoy an American PI/detective protagonist with a dry humor and hard boiled tone like Robert Parker or Robert Crais should find this an enjoyable and absolutely worthwhile read. A new author I am very pleased to have stumbled across and a series that is absolutely going onto my to be read list. Recommended.

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Preface To Murder by MS Morris

July 3, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Preface To Murder by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A dangerous book. A hidden secret. A deadly betrayal.

The Oxford Literary Festival is in full swing, but Detective Inspector Bridget Hart isn’t there to learn about books. Instead she’s been given the task of protecting Diane Gilbert, a controversial author who has received a death threat. Diane doesn’t seem to think she needs Bridget’s protection, but when the worst happens, Bridget’s role switches to running a murder enquiry.

The only clues Bridget has to go on relate to Diane’s new book which examines the murky world of international arms deals. Under pressure to identify the killer, Bridget finds herself drawn into the clandestine world of foreign governments and the British Security Service. She’ll need all her wiles and the full cooperation of her team to follow the twisting trail of evidence to its logical conclusion.

After receiving a death threat, Diane Gilbert reluctantly allows her agent to press her into having police protection as she attends the annual Oxford Literary Festival to promote her new book. DI Bridget Hart is happy to perform her job and isn’t even too puzzled at how little stock Diane places in the random threat. But when Diane is found dead in her house early in the morning – after Bridget and her team had carefully surveilled it overnight there are many questions that need answering.

I have been enjoying this Oxford based police procedural murder mystery series and found this book to be a solid addition. I feel Bridget and her team are working quite well together – even with the tensions still lingering between Fi and Jake – and particularly now Bridget’s private life is settling down a little I found the focus on the mystery and police investigation was very enjoyable.

Diane appeared to have any number of murky potential killers and some quite lofty mechanisms in the background, but I was pleased in the way which Bridget and her team conducted the investigation and while I could see a few of the red herrings for what they were I found myself quite engrossed in trying to uncover what was actually going on.

Readers who enjoy a slower paced mystery should find this an excellent book. With a cast of strong secondary characters, good pacing and an interesting and layered murder I found this a strong book and well worth the time. Recommended.

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Murder In Mind by Faith Martin

July 2, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder In Mind by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Looking for a brilliant bestselling murder mystery with a feisty female detective?

DETECTIVE HILLARY GREENE IS SOLVING THE COLD CASES NO ONE ELSE COULD CRACK.

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS THE WORK OF A NARROW MIND.

Seventy-five-year-old Sylvia Perkins was found battered to death in her home in 2010. The murder weapon was suspected to be a fire poker and it seems she was quite popular with older gentlemen.

Her grandson Robbie inherited everything, but he can’t be placed at the scene of the crime.

WHO KILLED THIS HARMLESS OLD WOMAN AND WHY? AND WHAT SECRETS WAS SHE HIDING?

Hillary also has a new boss and a baffling cold case to contend with, not to mention a marriage proposal to consider.

Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene.

This is a crime mystery full of well-observed characters, which will have you gripped from start to the absolutely thrilling conclusion.

Ex-DI Hillary Greene has settled well into the CRT team working cold cases – and focusing, of course, on unsolved murders. With a few things going on with her team members and a heavy question weighing over her personal life, Hillary is almost relived to be focusing on trying to solve an eight year cold murder of an elderly lady in her home. Can Hillary continue to juggle the many balls all revolving around in her life?

I have been greatly enjoying this series and feel this author has hit a really good stride. With a number of longer-running story arcs continuing in this book, I feel a lesser author might have unwittingly allowed the murder case to take a slight back seat to all the other items going on. I was pleased, therefore that this wasn’t the case.

There is clearly a few larger plotlines percolating in the background – Hillary and her long term lover as well as the plotline around Jake and his revenge, his hopes to drag Hillary onto the case with him – these both make some progress in this book and clearly are gearing up for more action in the coming book or two. I also am greatly enjoying the strides both Jimmy and Wendy – the other two members of Hillary’s team – are making.

I was very pleased that none of these things detracted from the main murder mystery which moved along at a good pace. This is very much a British police procedural – not an action thriller or a high-octane bangs every few minutes story. But I have to admit I enjoy reading the interviews and putting the puzzle together along with Hillary and trying to sort it all out for myself. The slightly slower pace gives us mere mortals a good chance to crack it for ourselves and really that’s half the fun with these mysteries.

I found this to be an excellent read, with good plotting, characters and a nice steady pace. An excellent addition to the series and a thoroughly enjoyable book. Recommended.

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Snow Fall by Jorn Lier Horst

June 19, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Snow Fall by Jorn Lier Horst
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

When true crime fanatic Astri Arctander disappears, Detective William Wisting is called upon to investigate.

Alongside her fellow amateur sleuths, Astri had been trying to uncover what really happened to Ruby Thompson, a backpacker whose body was recently discovered in Palamós, Spain.

Astri was ready to unmask Ruby’s killer. Then she vanished.

Wisting is determined to solve the case – to find justice for Ruby, and to bring Astri home unharmed.

But he soon finds himself at the heart of a dark and twisted cat-and-mouse chase, that will take him from the snowy depths of Norway to the hot Catalan hills.

Wisting is willing to go to extreme lengths to find the truth.

But his enemy will go further to keep it buried – and the closer Wisting gets, the more dangerous they become . . .

When a woman from Australia reaches out via email to the Norwegian police force requesting a wellness check on a friend of hers, William Wisting isn’t too worried when he initially checks and no women matching the description given is in any recent reports. Soon though, he is drawn into not only the missing Norwegian woman but the case she was looking into – that of a murdered Australian woman in Spain.

I have been a big fan of this Scandinavian Noir series for many years – it’s the first Norwegian crime/mystery series I ever read. I’m very pleased it remains as good today as when I first discovered it over a decade ago. This book in particular is a little different in a delightful way.

Not only is Wisting and his investigation brought solidly into more modern times with a large portion of the case occurring online in forums and discussion boards, but also this case is quite global – with people from over the world having a critical role online but also the adjacent case occurring in Spain but the missing woman being in Norway. All these items circle together – weaving realistically together and making for a complex and intense investigation and I was thrilled by it all.

Readers looking for a modern slightly gritty police murder mystery should definitely give this book – and series – a try. This book can absolutely be read as a stand alone but if you enjoy the tone and style of this I can easily recommend the rest of the series (most – but not all – have been translated into English).

An interesting murder mystery and a complicated plot that I thoroughly enjoyed.

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The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

June 17, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

There’s nothing forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway hates more than amateur archaeologists, but when a group of them stumble upon Bronze Age artifacts alongside a dead body in this gripping murder mystery, she finds herself thrust into their midst—and into the crosshairs of a string of murders circling ever closer.

Ruth is back as head of archaeology at the University of North Norfolk when a group of local metal detectorists—the so-called Night Hawks—uncovers Bronze Age artifacts on the beach, alongside a recently deceased body, just washed ashore. Not long after, the same detectorists uncover a murder-suicide—a scientist and his wife found at their farmhouse, long thought to be haunted by the Black Shuck, a humongous black dog and a harbinger of death. The further DCI Nelson probes into both cases, the more intertwined they become, and the closer they circle to David Brown, the new lecturer Ruth has recently hired, who seems always to turn up wherever Ruth goes.

DCI Nelson is called out onto the coastline in the middle of the night when a group of enthusiastic metal detectorists discover a body washed up on the shore. The case quickly turns difficult as a cache of Bronze Age artefacts – complete with a skeleton – is simultaneously found nearby, and Nelson calls Ruth in to ensure the skeleton is old and none of his concern. But when an apparent murder suicide quickly occurs, Nelson and his team need to uncover what’s really going on.

I have been a fan of this series for a number of years and found this to be an excellent addition. Nelson and Ruth’s long term – and extremely complicated – relationship gives a solid tension and backdrop to the mysteries – both old and new. In some respects this book gave the feel of things beginning to come full circle and settle down, and I admit I really liked that. The ongoing will they/won’t they tension between Nelson and Ruth does sometimes get me a bit down and frustrated. While I admit no actual progress was made between them, this books ending really gave me the impression that some sort of resolution wasn’t too much further into the future. Considering the book ends at Christmas 2019 (and we all know what followed sharply after THAT event) I have a feeling things will shift pretty firmly one way or the other in the next book.

Readers who are familiar with this series will know to expect a blend of history/archaeology and British police procedural murder mystery. This book does fulfil that – though I must admit the archeology takes somewhat of a back seat in this book, being more focused on Ruth and her teaching career. I thought the digs and field work were not quite as prominent as they sometimes are. I didn’t mind this – the characters, both old and new – were a lot more front and center and really there were almost two mysteries in this book, the washed up body and the apparent murder/suicide. These two cases gave the book a solid feel of plenty going on and adding on a big archeological scene on top of that would have felt too full in my opinion and might have detracted somewhat from the focus and plot.

While I do feel this book can be read by itself, there is a long and complicated history between the characters – particularly Ruth and Nelson – and while I think this is an excellent book I do feel a better understanding and emotional connection will be achieved if readers have at least a few of the other books under their belt first. This book is towards the end of the series and while discovering this series would be fantastic, I do think it might be prudent to start a little closer to the beginning.

I found this to be a well written and solidly plotted mystery with a strong element of archaeology. The characters are layered and deep – and the main relationship in particular is complicated and not for the faint hearted. A brilliant series and one I will be sad to wrap up in a few books time. Recommended.

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The Cuillin Dead by J M Dalgliesh

June 11, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Cuillin Dead by J M Dalgliesh
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Life is full of choices. Death… is chosen for you…
When the body of a missing tourist is discovered slain in the foothills of the Cuillin Mountain range beside Loch Coruisk, it falls to D.I. Duncan McAdam and his small team to discover how he came to be there and who would have a motive to kill him.

The summer season is a welcome distraction following a brutal and challenging winter. The Isle of Skye is booming with a revitalised tourist trade after a tough few years, and the Misty Isle is on course for its best year for visitors on record. But one person has not received the warm greeting the islanders are famed for. Here, on the inner Hebridean island, long-held secrets, past crimes and burning resentment are set to be unveiled in the most brutal fashion.

Some people come to the island to experience a return to nature, others to detach from their hectic lives seeking a simpler existence. And then there are those who wish to escape their past and begin again. These people believe they are making a fresh start but overlook one universal truth, their sins come with them… and there will be a reckoning…

When the body of a tourist is discovered at the foothills of the Cuillin mountains DI Duncan McAdam and his small team need to uncover why the man was in that spot and who would have a reason to kill him. Visiting with friends for a stag do, it doesn’t appear anyone at a first glance has a reason for wanting the tourist dead. Can DI McAdam persevere and uncover the truth?

I have been enjoying this series and find the rural setting of the Isle of Skye a wonderful atmosphere. With a small population and huge open spaces I really like the wildness the scenery conveys to me when I read these mysteries. Additionally, I love the depth and often the complexities of these plots. While a Scottish police procedural, and the plot being more deduction rather than action/adventure, I do feel like I can keep up with everything as the mystery deepens rather than just feeling like I’m keeping up which often happens to me with more action orientated stories.

I also really appreciated how with this novel I felt a number of the characters really progressed in their personal storylines. While the mystery was absolutely front and center, I definitely felt with this novel that Duncan was beginning to grow a bit more as a character and take some more mature steps. I really enjoyed this and hope it continues into the next few books.

Readers looking for an interested and complex murder mystery plot should absolutely find this book fits the bill. While this is part way through the series I strongly feel this stands well alone and readers shouldn’t be shy about picking it up even if the author and series is new to them. With a beautiful atmosphere and scenery and interesting characters this was a great read and one I can easily recommend.

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Deceived By The Light by Damien Boyd

June 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Deceived By The Light by Damien Boyd
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

An innocent man framed. A case closed. A serial killer free to kill again.

It is 1985. Detective Inspector Mungo ‘Bob’ Willis is being forced out of Avon and Somerset Police on medical grounds. His career is in tatters, his body broken, his mind shattered, and his partner—DS Lizzie Harper—dead in a sting operation gone wrong.

Their last case is closed, but Bob is convinced an innocent man has been framed, leaving a serial killer cruising the A303 with impunity, free to target lone women who have broken down by the roadside late at night.

The killer knows the police aren’t looking for anyone else in connection with the murders. What they don’t know is what Bob will do next.

And when another woman is killed in horrifyingly similar circumstances, Bob launches his own—unofficial—investigation. Can he stop a sadistic killer before they kill again? And again…

DI Mungo “Bob” Willis is an average police officer. With no real career highs (nor lows) he has been mediocre – and comfortable with it – his entire life. Until the night he and his DS Lizzie Harper faced down a serial killing pair alone in a layby lane on the A303. With Lizzie dead and Bob barely released from the hospital weeks later Bob is fired by something he’s never experienced before – determination and revenge.

I have greatly enjoyed this author’s other series so when I found out he’d begun something new I eagerly jumped in. I was a little surprised that this book was set back in 1985 – an find it mortifying that at 40 years ago now, this is classed as a historical mystery – but I still found it an exciting and engrossing read. Even with no modern technology – no license plate readers, no CCTV, no mobile phones, but instead people using telephone booths – I loved how the author made the story about the plot and characters and still kept everything relevant and interesting.

I found it highly enjoyable that even without so many of the new tricks, this book strongly contained solid police work and character driven emotions. I found both of these critical elements helped keep this a gripping read and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I’m pleased to see there’s another book and hope the author sticks with this. The older time setting helps keep this series feeling different and fresh, but I absolutely think there’s enough mystery and interesting characters to keep modern readers attached and eager for more.

A new series from an author I am well versed in, this is a great read and one I can highly recommend.

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Murder At Midnight by Faith Martin

June 5, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder At Midnight by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Felix Olliphant was found stabbed to death at a New Year’s Eve costume party for the turn of the millennium.

Seemingly liked by everyone, motives for his murder are hard to find. There was one suspect, but no evidence.

Hillary struggles to solve this baffling case. And she has to contend with a new colleague, Jake Barnes. Young and rich, he says he wants to give something back to the community, but Hillary has her doubts.

Will Hillary finally be defeated by this cold case and will she lose her boss and love interest to a new job?

Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.

Hillary Green returns to work in the cold case unit after a well earned two week break. Her two new trainees are both eager to begin work with her – though each have their own secrets. Hillary is given a particularly difficult case – one with ample suspects but no real motive. Can Hillary work her magic yet again?

I have been thoroughly enjoying this series. I am particularly impressed the author manages to keep the situations feeling fresh. With semi regular new characters introduced as the plotlines surrounding other secondary characters close out and they move on I think this really finds the balance between the comfort of the known and familiar but with enough movement and new people brought in to keep everything feeling fresh and different. I also really enjoy the fact that while the cases are generally kept to each individual book, there is frequently a sub-plot or two percolating in the background to give a bit of cohesion and a sense of an overall storyline unfolding.

Realistic and enjoyable, I can thoroughly rate this series and find each new installment to be an enjoyable read. I thought there was clearly a longer running plot with one of the new trainees – he’s clearly got a few secrets lurking and a personal agenda he’s working on. It will be interesting to see where that leads. I also have been enjoying the slowly building sub-plot of Hillary’s love life with her about-to-be-promoted boss. Readers should be aware that the final paragraph of the book spins a few things on it’s head and clearly is leading to a big change in the next book.

An excellent mystery with a cast of strong secondary characters and a very well plotted series of mysteries and multi-book plot arcs this is a great series and one I can highly recommend. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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Field Of Bones by LT Ryan

May 26, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Field Of Bones by LT Ryan
Publisher: Liquid Mind Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A young woman disappears…
A desperate family searches for answers…
Maddie Castle must uncover the truth before it’s too late.

Maddie Castle thought she’d seen it all as a private investigator, but when Bentley Roycroft pleads for help finding his niece, Daisy Miller, Maddie is drawn into one of her most harrowing cases yet. Daisy has been missing for nearly a year, but a recent clue—a mysterious flash drive—could hold the key to her whereabouts.

As Maddie investigates, she unravels a trail of deceit, corruption, and buried secrets that point to a dangerous conspiracy. With each step, the danger grows, and Maddie must rely on her instincts to navigate a deadly game where every move could be her last. Time is running out, and the stakes couldn’t be higher: uncover the truth or lose Daisy forever.

PI Maddie Castle has finally found a solid lead on the missing Daisy Miller. Bently – Maddie’s boyfriend – asked Maddie to search for the Daisy, the young sister of his dead wife. Maddie knows the older man – Daisy’s captor – is ruthless, smart and determined, but as Maddie uncovers more and more, she realizes that the stakes are higher than she could have imagined, and the death toll is worst than her every nightmare.

This is an intense and well plotted mystery/thriller series I have been enjoying a lot. There are some darker themes here in the book – kidnapping and non-consensual activities in particular – but I wouldn’t describe anything as overtly graphic or titillating. These themes are present and not shied away from, but they also are not dwelled upon or given graphic description – more mentioned numerous times and not shied away from. I also would stress heavily that this book is solidly a mystery/thriller and “rescue the kidnapped woman” storyline – not in any way a romance or “Dark Romance” style of book.

I also for this book would recommend that the previous story (Vanished Trails) would be a sensible book to read prior to picking this book up. Much of the background detecting occurs in this book and then Field of Bones picks up immediately after where Vanished Trails leaves off. This means readers starting here might feel as if a lot of the hard yards in tracking Daisy and the key evidence they find is missing – as this story opens with Maddie having the evidence in hand and actually tracking down Daisy. I do feel readers should be able to pick up where this story begins, but I feel if I hadn’t read the previous book it might feel to myself as if half the story (the mystery/tracking the clues) was missing.

I absolutely enjoyed the fact that the pace is fast in this book. The whole book covers just a few short and intense days – the culmination of the case as a whole – and this book has a very go-go-go sort of feel to me. I was pleased that much of the emotional baggage which the other books in this series often has was a lot more back seat in this story. I enjoyed that the focus was the case and rescuing Daisy and not so much all the complexities of Maddie’s personal and family life. I did really enjoy that.

While I admit this book might not appeal as much to new readers to this series – without the multiple story plotline arc some of the intensity and emotion might not be present, I do nevertheless feel this is a highly emotional and intense read, a strong thriller/serial killer style of story and a fast paced, plot heavy read. It was also very satisfying to finally get some closure and answers on some of the longer running story arc with these still being plenty of story left for future books.

A well plotted, fast paced mystery/thriller book and a series I am really enjoying. Recommended.

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