3 but marking it 4 as I liked it a bit more than others I've liked. Will continue the series ( )

3.5 stars
I did enjoy this easy to read crime drama. It was a feasible plot with realistic characters ( )

I didn’t particularly like this thriller. I found it a little predictable and consequently boring. It wasn’t terrible but just not memorable or very interesting. ( )

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

Mack and Lesley's 15 year old daughter Rosie goes missing from their garden while she is revising for her GCSEs. The family recently won 15 million GBP on the lottery and has moved to a big house in an upmarket village. Maggie is one of the family liaison officers assigned to the case.

I read a lot of police procedurals, but have never read one from the perspective of the FLO, so this was interesting. Maggie manages to explain a good deal about the role of an FLO, although she does go a bit Indiana Jones towards the end to save the day single-handedly. There was quite a lot of back story about Maggie having previously been disciplined as an FLO, which made the book seem less like the first in a series, although I'm pretty sure it is - I sense a "will they-won't they" romance brewing.

I was very impressed. There are chapters from the perspective of a character clearly implicated in Rosie's disappearance, and his motivations made very good sense, especially in the light of his steroid usage and health. Various plot threads came together by the end, in a way which seemed fluid rather than forced.

I would be keen to read more by this author. ( )