Little Girl Lost by Carol Wyer

About Little Girl Lost

Her breath rose and fell in fearful gasps but it was too late. She could already see what she dreaded most. The back seat was empty.Her little girl was gone.

Abigail lives the perfect life with her doting husband and adorable baby Izzy. But someone knows a secret about Abigail and they want the truth to be told.

When Izzy is snatched from a carpark, it becomes a case for Detective Robyn Carter. Someone has been sending threatening messages to Abigail from an anonymous number. What is Abigail hiding?

Robyn’s instincts tell her there’s a connection between Izzy’s abduction and two murders she is investigating. But the last time she acted on impulse her fiancé was killed. To break this case and earn her place back on the force, she must learn to trust herself again – and fast. Robyn is on the hunt for a ruthless serial killer. And unless she gets to the twisted individual in time a little girl will die …

Gripping, fast-paced and nail-bitingly tense, this serial killer thriller will chill you to the bone. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter.

My Review of Little Girl Lost

     

Little Girl Lost is a detective story/fast paced thriller. We begin by reading about Alice, a little girl, who is only eight-years-old,  who lives in a big house with her mother, step dad Paul, and step siblings, Natasha and Lucas. We learn that her mother is engaged to Paul, a big movie actor and that Alice feels rejected and shunned due to this new relationship, as her mother seems to have no time to spend with her.  Her only true friend would seem to be that of her toy rabbit, Mr Big Ears. The prologue deals with a life changing event for Alice, that sets the tone and pace for the entire story. It deals with a sexual assault, upon Alice, and I did find this upsetting to read, as it was fairly graphic in its depiction. I will admit that I nearly gave up reading, but I wanted to give the book a chance, and I am so very glad that I did. This is by far the most graphic and disturbing part of the book, in my opinion at least.

I do feel that the subject matter of the book may not be to everyone's taste, as the novel is centred around child sexual abuse, and is greatly disturbing. But, I do feel that the author tackles this subject with great empathy, sensitivity and knowledge upon the subject. The events that take place are given context, they are not simply there as a 'shock factor', as they are integral to the plot.

So, Little Girl Lost is the first book in the Detective Inspector Robyn Carter series, and I found this character hugely compelling and likeable. Having suffered her own losses in life, she busies herself in her work and is dedicated and passionate.

We are also introduced to Abigail Thorne, and her husband Jackson, who have a little girl, Izzy. It is later on in the novel that they are then introduced to Robyn, as Izzy goes missing. At this point Robyn is investigating the disappearance of Lucas and is convinced that his case is linked to that of several murders that have taken place.

This novel took me a while to get into because of the varying points of view. We read Robyn's thoughts, as well as those of Abigail's and then of Alice, both past and present. However, once I was around a quarter of the way through, I quickly settled into the pace and way of storytelling and found the plot completely captivating. I was gripped until the very end, not knowing who was telling the truth and how all of these separate events were connected. It really is a very clever story.

Little Girl Lost, is a tough read, there is no denying this, simply because of the subject matter. It did however, keep me guessing and thoroughly entertained. I  look forward to reading the second novel in the Detective Inspector Robyn Carter series.

With thanks to the publisher, Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with an Advanced Reader Copy.

Little Girl Lost is available to buy from Amazon here.

About the author

Carol E. Wyer is an award-winning author whose humorous books take a light-hearted look at getting older and encourage others to age disgracefully. More recently she has chosen to write for the "dark side" and embarked on a series of thrillers, starting with the gripping best-seller, Little Girl Lost.

Her book Grumpy Old Menopause won The People's Book Prize Award for non-fiction 2015.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing 'Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly' featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and writes regularly for The Huffington Post.

Carol is a signed author with Bookouture and Delancey Press.

To learn more about Carol, go to www.carolewyer.co.uk or follow Carol on Twitter: @carolewyer. Carol blogs at www.facing50withhumour.com and www.grumpyoldmenopause.com

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly

 

About He Said/She Said

You don't want to be left in the dark. Twisty, gripping and thought-provoking, HE SAID/SHE SAID is the suspense novel everyone is lining up to read and rave about.

'A tour de force - a gripping, twisting, furiously clever read that asks all the right questions and keeps you guessing until the very end.' Ruth Ware, author of The Woman in Cabin 10

'I'm calling it: THIS is the book I wish I'd written' Clare Mackintosh, author of I See You

In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack.

She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, four lives change forever.

Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear.

And while Laura knows she was right to speak out, she also knows that you can never see the whole picture: something is always hidden... something she never could have guessed.

My Review of He Said/She Said

 

He Said/She Said is a fast paced, gripping and compulsive read. Once I began to read I could not put it down, I was hooked from the very beginning. If you love complex characterisations, twisted plots and an enjoyable story to boot, then you will love this book. I did!

 

The story we are told begins fifteen years previously, when Kit and Laura attend an 'eclipse festival' in Cornwall, on Lizard Point. Kit had travelled with his twin brother, Mac, along with Mac's girlfriend (and Laura's best friend), Ling. Laura had to attend a job interview and so traveled to meet them a few days later. They had funded the trip by manning a tea tent at the festival, selling the then, much drunk, spiced chai tea.

 

It is from this point onwards that the loves of Kit and Laura changes forever. After viewing the eclipse, Laura stumbles upon a purse that is in the grass, and on her search to find the recipient, stumbles upon a rape. We later learn that the woman's name is Beth and the man accused of rape is Jamie. The four characters lives from that moment on become entwined, when Kit and Laura are asked to provide witness statements and to then stand as witnesses during the rape trial. I won't say any more about what happens, but this is the beginning of their new lives.

 

This book is a dark read, and a thought provoking one, especially around the issue of rape and that of consent. It is very obvious that he author has done lots of research and provides us with an utterly plausible storyline with regards to the violation of rape victims when in a court of law, and the fact that it is very often their word against the accused. Very often it is the victim who is forced to plead her innocence, with sexual habits, past sexual partners, and state of mind all coming into play.

 

Kit and Laura are captivating characters, each telling their own story via alternating chapters in the book. In doing so, we get a fully rounded account of what has happened during the past fifteen years, helping us to fill the gaps and shed light on the present day. However, it is vary difficult to know who is telling the truth, and it is only during the last few pages of the book that we fully understand what has happened between them. To say that I was shocked, would be a huge understatement. At first I thought that the title of the book referred to the version of events as presented by Jamie and Beth, but in fact I now understand that the book is about Kit and Laura, and their relationship, and that there are always two sides to every story.

 

This book very much centres around the eclipse, with Kit and Laura, being eclipse chasers. I thought that this would put me off, but in fact it did the opposite. I found the information about the eclipse fascinating, and just heaped to add a further layer to the story. All of the important events that happen to Kit and Laura seem to revolve around the eclipse, so it is a part of them, part of who they are as a couple.

 

Erin Kelly is a very talented writer. By the end of the book In felt like I  knew Beth, Kit and Laura, that I knew their souls, what made them tick and what had shaped them, and this is very difficult to achieve. It is these complex characters that make the book a gripping and fascinating read. In truth, I did not like any of them, but that didn't matter, I didn't need to like them, merely understand them, and this was achieved by the end of the book.

 

He Said/She Said is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a book that I highly recommend.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

 

He Said/She Said is published by Hodder and Stoughton on April 20th.

 

The book is available to pre order from Amazon here.