Joy Kluver

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the first in a series, although there were distracting references to DI Bernie's past and the fact that she was meant to be keeping a low profile in the West Country, having left London for unknown reasons. Obviously she spends the whole novel appearing at press conferences and being interviewed by the BBC, but survives unscathed.

The plot moved pretty quickly, and the following and dismissing of dead ends felt realistic, but much of the motivation felt a bit off to me. The senior police officers and press officer were capable of rapid and extreme mood swings, and I just don't accept the fact that an entire village would think as one and fail to help look for a missing 5 year old for the reasons given. That part felt a bit like an alternate reality.

There was a lot packed into one novel - a missing 5 year old, a series of crimes at betting shops, an historic child abduction, a potential romance for Bernie, Bernie's father introducing himself to her for the first time, power struggles within the police force, and so on. The ending was a little rushed and although this was a reasonably good read, I don't think I would rush to read the next in the series.… (más)