Synopsis: When thirteen-year-old Savannah Hopkins doesn’t come straight home from school as she always does, her mother Jane immediately raises the alarm. With her blonde ponytail and red school jumper, someone must have spotted Savannah.
Detective Natalie Ward is determined to help the distraught mother – her own daughter is the same age as Savannah. But before Natalie and her team can get started, their worst fears are confirmed when the teenager’s broken body is found in nearby shrubland.
Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as Natalie closes the net around him, one of Savannah’s friends, Harriet, is reported missing. Harriet might look grown up and sophisticated but she is only fourteen…
As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on both their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours. She’s sure this is the key to the case, but before she can act, Harriet’s body is found discarded on a roadside.
Natalie’s superiors don’t have to put any extra pressure on her. Devastated, she and her team work without sleep, watching that video over and over. But just as she thinks they’re getting close, the person Natalie loves more than anything goes missing.
Natalie is no stranger to loss. She is terrified and the clock is ticking. Can she push through her fear to catch this depraved killer, before her loved one becomes the next victim?
Rated: 4/5
My Review: Because I went straight from book 2 on to book 3 no introduction was needed and I was keen to see what the gang were up to now. Of course another time and another murder investigation! This however seems to be only the tip of the iceberg as another girl goes missing. What makes this whole scenario even worse is that our lead character Natalie has a daughter the same age as these girls that are being found murdered and going missing.
There is an added element to this latest story as the reader experiences flashbacks from the killer which makes you wonder who this person is. Once again we also get to see a little more of the team and their personal lives. On the flip side of the work, Natalie’s home life is becoming more fraught as her marriage is under serious strain. I cannot say I am disappointed as I absolutely loathe David as a character and think Natalie needs to move on from him.
Overall, another brilliant read and once again this made me want to continue reading about everybody so straight onto the next book I go!!!
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