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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
The story revolves around a DI who has suffered a tremendous loss and gets back to work just in time to lead the investigation in a twisted plot of revenge and family drama caused by a sick teenager/man who ruined the life of his sister, stepsister and many other girls along the way. Robyn Carter is one officer you wish to have on your side.
dark
slow-paced
I kept wanting to walk aways from this book from the moment I started it. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to read a detective type novel. It wasn't that it was bad, I just never really got sucked in. I figured out what was happening about half way in so there was no twist, no shock value, just wrapping up neatly like an episode of CSI. I would say 3.5 stars.
This is a definite 'to look out for' novel for 2017.
With three narrative voices employed to tell the tale, we first meet Alice, a little girl beginning to suffer abuse at the hands of her stepbrother-to-be. Alice unsurprisingly develops a rather destructive streak and we learn more about her as we move through the book.
Next, we meet Detective inspector Robyn, who, suffering from recent and terrible loss, is throwing herself into her job to try and push the hurt away. She pushes her mind and body to the limit and is an excellent, believable and strong woman.
We then meet Abigail who seems to have the perfect life with her new baby Izzy and her handsome pilot husband. As life starts to get weird for Abby, we soon discover that she has a whole closet full of secrets that are threatening to spill out. Things escalate quickly and Abby has to figure out how to protect her family and the life she has made for herself.
There are several other characters who play an important role in this tale of abuse, secrets and ultimately revenge, but the main focus is on the 3 women, shifting character viewpoint from chapter to chapter - this is an effective approach within this novel and doesn't feel, like it sometimes does, to be done for effect. The flow is seamless.
I found this book to be a real breath of fresh air. I kind of got what was coming about 2/3 of the way through, which is quite late for me, however I was still gripped right to the end - I wasn't quite sure if I was right or wrong, and even then there was still some detail that I hadn't known when I originally had the moment of realisation.
Little Girl Lost is to be the first in the Robyn Carter series and I am greatly looking forward to the next one.
I received an advance copy of this novel from Netgalley & the publisher in return for an honest review.
With three narrative voices employed to tell the tale, we first meet Alice, a little girl beginning to suffer abuse at the hands of her stepbrother-to-be. Alice unsurprisingly develops a rather destructive streak and we learn more about her as we move through the book.
Next, we meet Detective inspector Robyn, who, suffering from recent and terrible loss, is throwing herself into her job to try and push the hurt away. She pushes her mind and body to the limit and is an excellent, believable and strong woman.
We then meet Abigail who seems to have the perfect life with her new baby Izzy and her handsome pilot husband. As life starts to get weird for Abby, we soon discover that she has a whole closet full of secrets that are threatening to spill out. Things escalate quickly and Abby has to figure out how to protect her family and the life she has made for herself.
There are several other characters who play an important role in this tale of abuse, secrets and ultimately revenge, but the main focus is on the 3 women, shifting character viewpoint from chapter to chapter - this is an effective approach within this novel and doesn't feel, like it sometimes does, to be done for effect. The flow is seamless.
I found this book to be a real breath of fresh air. I kind of got what was coming about 2/3 of the way through, which is quite late for me, however I was still gripped right to the end - I wasn't quite sure if I was right or wrong, and even then there was still some detail that I hadn't known when I originally had the moment of realisation.
Little Girl Lost is to be the first in the Robyn Carter series and I am greatly looking forward to the next one.
I received an advance copy of this novel from Netgalley & the publisher in return for an honest review.
After reading an Angela Marsons "DI Kim Stone," I wanted to read something equally dark and twisty so I picked this up. The prologue was definitely hard to read, and trigger warning there are other scenes of gore and abuse. But the story held my attention, and I was wrapped up in the lives of Paul, Christina, Alice, Natasha, and Lucas. I am also equally intrigued by DI Robyn Carter, and I will definitely keep reading this series -- in fact, I preordered book #3!
There were a lot of characters, murders, and twists, and so there was quite a bit to keep straight. I figured out who the grown Alice was (it did take me a while), before Robyn and the others did, and so I basically had to sit on the sidelines watching them try to figure it out. The mystery builds up to a heart-stopping conclusion, where justice is served and by the end of the book Robyn and her cousin Ross are hard at work again.
I'm glad I bought this one and got to meet Robyn Carter. She is a detective worth getting to know!
There were a lot of characters, murders, and twists, and so there was quite a bit to keep straight. I figured out who the grown Alice was (it did take me a while), before Robyn and the others did, and so I basically had to sit on the sidelines watching them try to figure it out. The mystery builds up to a heart-stopping conclusion, where justice is served and by the end of the book Robyn and her cousin Ross are hard at work again.
I'm glad I bought this one and got to meet Robyn Carter. She is a detective worth getting to know!
Little Girl Lost was a whirlwind from start to finish. The author did an incredible job at keeping the reader guessing. Throughout the book I changed my mind at least 5 times as to how it would end and who was behind the murders.
Without giving away any spoilers, the story follows DI Robyn Carter in her pursuit of a missing person's case. Music professor, Lucas Matthews, has gone missing. Meanwhile, a local millionaire is killed in what appears to be a running accident. On the surface, these men don't seem connected, but as the Detective delves deeper into their lives, and all clues bring her to Abigail, a wife and mother to baby Izzy. Why is she receiving threatening text messages, calls, and emails from an anonymous person?
As soon as Robyn thinks she has some of it figured out, there's a new piece of the puzzle that appears. The story is told through flashbacks, as well as different perspectives from the main characters. Are they all connected? Why is Luke missing? Who is harassing Abigail? Who abducted the child?
So many questions and twists throughout, and it'll keep you guessing until the very end. To anyone that loves mysteries, serial killers, or crime thrillers, then you don't want to miss out on this book!
Without giving away any spoilers, the story follows DI Robyn Carter in her pursuit of a missing person's case. Music professor, Lucas Matthews, has gone missing. Meanwhile, a local millionaire is killed in what appears to be a running accident. On the surface, these men don't seem connected, but as the Detective delves deeper into their lives, and all clues bring her to Abigail, a wife and mother to baby Izzy. Why is she receiving threatening text messages, calls, and emails from an anonymous person?
As soon as Robyn thinks she has some of it figured out, there's a new piece of the puzzle that appears. The story is told through flashbacks, as well as different perspectives from the main characters. Are they all connected? Why is Luke missing? Who is harassing Abigail? Who abducted the child?
So many questions and twists throughout, and it'll keep you guessing until the very end. To anyone that loves mysteries, serial killers, or crime thrillers, then you don't want to miss out on this book!
What I Thought:
Detective Inspector Robyn Carter has taken a leave of absence from the Staffordshire Police Force following a series of personal tragedies. Having spent time working as a private detective with her cousin, Ross, also a former detective, she is preparing to rejoin the police force when Ross sends her on one last case. A woman has reported her husband missing, following her meeting it soon becomes clear to DI Carter that this case is one for the police and she’s back to work a little sooner than planned.
I really enjoyed Little Girl Lost. It took me a little while to get into the book, I think it suffers from the same curse as a lot of first books in a series, and the action was a little thin on the ground while we were introduced to Robyn and her back story. However once the main plot line really kicked in I found it almost impossible to put down. [a:Carol Wyer|14925467|Carol Wyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1456076928p2/14925467.jpg] does a fantastic job of planting just enough hints you think you’ve worked it out, before throwing a curve ball that leaves you second guessing yourself.
Throughout the book the present day chapters are interspersed with chapters based in the past. These chapters are written in the first person and gradually move forward in time until they reach the present day. I found this a great technique that added to your understanding of the motive behind everything without making it clear who was behind it.
Would I recommend it?
I would absolutely recommend Little Girl Lost. For me it was a top class thriller that left me turning pages well past midnight just so I could reach the end. I wouldn’t have known this was Carol Wyer’s first thriller if it hadn’t been noted in the comments. The only thing I would urge caution about is the book does contain child sex abuse, which I wasn’t expecting based on the blurb. For me this wasn’t an issue but I can appreciate that for some this may be a trigger. Personally I will be keeping a keen eye out for the further adventures of DI Robyn Carter, Carol Wyer is a great addition to the world of crime fiction.
Detective Inspector Robyn Carter has taken a leave of absence from the Staffordshire Police Force following a series of personal tragedies. Having spent time working as a private detective with her cousin, Ross, also a former detective, she is preparing to rejoin the police force when Ross sends her on one last case. A woman has reported her husband missing, following her meeting it soon becomes clear to DI Carter that this case is one for the police and she’s back to work a little sooner than planned.
I really enjoyed Little Girl Lost. It took me a little while to get into the book, I think it suffers from the same curse as a lot of first books in a series, and the action was a little thin on the ground while we were introduced to Robyn and her back story. However once the main plot line really kicked in I found it almost impossible to put down. [a:Carol Wyer|14925467|Carol Wyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1456076928p2/14925467.jpg] does a fantastic job of planting just enough hints you think you’ve worked it out, before throwing a curve ball that leaves you second guessing yourself.
Throughout the book the present day chapters are interspersed with chapters based in the past. These chapters are written in the first person and gradually move forward in time until they reach the present day. I found this a great technique that added to your understanding of the motive behind everything without making it clear who was behind it.
Would I recommend it?
I would absolutely recommend Little Girl Lost. For me it was a top class thriller that left me turning pages well past midnight just so I could reach the end. I wouldn’t have known this was Carol Wyer’s first thriller if it hadn’t been noted in the comments. The only thing I would urge caution about is the book does contain child sex abuse, which I wasn’t expecting based on the blurb. For me this wasn’t an issue but I can appreciate that for some this may be a trigger. Personally I will be keeping a keen eye out for the further adventures of DI Robyn Carter, Carol Wyer is a great addition to the world of crime fiction.