Synopsis: Sasha’s eighteen-year-old daughter Gemma was all she had in the world. Sasha fell pregnant with Gemma when she was still at school, and the two are as close as sisters. So when Gemma’s burned and broken body is found, Sasha’s world ends. What kind of person would want her beautiful daughter dead?
Leading the case is Detective Natalie Ward, scarred by her own recent tragedy. When she finds a note in Gemma’s diary from ‘a secret admirer’, she moves quickly, determined to un-mask them. But interviews with Gemma’s devastated ex-boyfriend, and her charismatic teacher, who has been seen embracing his student far away from the classroom, don’t give Natalie the answers she’d hoped for…
And then the case takes a devastating, personal twist. CCTV footage reveals Natalie’s estranged husband David followed Gemma home every evening the week before she died.
Natalie is forced to put personal feelings aside and follow procedure, even though she can’t believe David could be guilty. But when Gemma’s housemate is found murdered, Natalie thinks the killer could still be at large. Is she right to trust her instincts about David and can she discover the truth before another precious life is taken?
My Rating: 4/5
My Review: After the toll of the last book I was wondering where Natalie would be and how she was doing so I was glad to re-join her and see how things were. Natalie is still struggling after the events in the last book but is keen to return to work and when a college girl Gemma is killed following an acid attack she decides to return and throw herself into work. It was great to see the team back together although things are still up and down.
Gemma lived in student housing so there are various characters that straight away are thrown into this storyline and the team have their work cur out when trying to work out what relationship the housemates had and why anybody would want to kill this beautiful woman who seemingly had no enemies. The team as ever pull together and thankfully that still includes the forensics guy Mike who Natalie is also building a relationsip with outside of work.
This latest book was slightly slower paced than the last book (but that is not altogether unexpected), but was still very enjoyable and the last third of the book was definitely more fast paced. I am pleased to see that book 7 is already out so I know what I am moving onto next.
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