The Search Party by Simon Lelic

 

They Said:-

'HUGELY GRIPPING' Mark Billingham
'HEART-STOPPING' Elly Griffiths
'CLEVER AND ATMOSPHERIC' Mark Edwards

16-year-old Sadie Saunders is missing.

Five friends set out into the woods to find her.

But they're not just friends...

THEY'RE SUSPECTS.

You see, this was never a search party.

It's a witch hunt.

And not everyone will make it home alive...

THE CHALK MAN meets THE HUNTING PARTY in this gripping story; witness four suspects as, alongside DI Fleet, you attempt to discover the truth about what happened to Sadie..

What I thought:-

Such an intensely suspenseful, twisty and engrossing story this is.  I have been in thrall to Simon Lelic's writing for the last few days, enjoying the images he creates of the woodland setting and experiencing events from the viewpoints of his well-drawn characters.  

The situation of a missing teenage girl is the nightmare of most parents and it is easy to suspect the worst  possible outcome; yet with no body, there is no certainty and there is also the possibility of other explanations for the disappearance.  Sadie is popular, but within her group of friends there is ambivalence which surfaces when we follow the narrative via their different perspectives. Each relationship has its strengths and weaknesses, and these are not adults. An added twist is that the primary detective involved in the investigation has had past experience of a missing family member of his own, and he also has powerful instincts for truth.  Further, the parents of the missing girl are not the most involved or caring.  So many different strands present themselves, the truth is elusive, and the story is truly a web of possibilities.  Gradually what happened is revealed and the conclusion is poignant, surprising and moving.  The plot has been very cleverly crafted: Simon Lelic has created a stupendous novel which deserves to be widely read and enjoyed.  I really hope that this is not the last time we meet  DI Fleet and Nicky, his DS work partner, because I would love to spend more time alongside them on another case.

Just Like The Other Girls by Claire Douglas

 

This was a really engrossing story, set in my local area so I can confirm that the locations are authentic and well-drawn.  Ageing but spry Elspeth feels safer with someone living in as a carer/companion in her Clifton mansion, and recruits Una to this role.  It is a strange set up - Aggie comes in daily to cook and there is a gardener and a cleaner, too.  Newly bereft Una is in need of a home and the good rate of pay is attractive so that she can save up to realise her dreams.  She is to have two days off per week, and on those two days Kathryn, Elspeth's daughter, who lives nearby with her husband and sons, provides the support that Elspeth requires.  She also manages Elspeth's art gallery in the arcade in Clifton Village, so she's a busy lady.

Una is thrilled to find that her room is in fact a suite of rooms in the attic and has never enjoyed so much space to herself.  However, it soon transpires that this household also holds secrets and all is not as it seems.

This psychological thriller is probably Claire Douglas's finest work so far, an absolute joy to read as the suspense and mystery increase and danger threatens.  There are twists and surprises as the story unfolds and the characters are interesting and engaging.  I am very happy to recommend this book and look forward with pleasure to reading Claire Douglas's next offering.

The Woman in the Dark by Vanessa Savage

A truly haunting story: the characters are still in my head several days after reaching the end of the book.  It is cleverly written and Sarah is a character to warm to, caught in a situation beyond comprehension as she tries to make a home with her family at the seaside, away from all she has known in the city.  Her husband is desperate to return to the house which accommodated his idyllic childhood  and, although she is not keen, she wants to make him happy.  Then strange things begin to happen and Sarah feels threatened.  Is she suffering a relapse of mental illness?  Is the house haunted?  How well does she know the people she loves?  A gripping thriller and a jolly good read.

Everything but the Truth by Gillian McAllister

A compelling psychological thriller about love, trust and guilty secrets.  Rachel used to be a doctor but gave up medicine and has been working in an office.  She meets journalist Jack and they fall head over heels in love.  However, Rachel has experienced a series of traumatic losses which left her with trust issues: these begin to impinge on their relationship, and Jack seems evasive.  The complication is that Rachel and Jack have made a baby.

Just how well can we ever know another person?  Are any of us truly innocent?  And should the quest for truth take precedence over trust?    These are some of the themes explored in this very enjoyable story which begs to be a book club choice because there are so many issues raised and points to ponder and discuss. 

Everything You Told Me by Lucy Dawson

I experienced some problems reading this tale, because there was a disconnect between what I know and what was being said in it - but this was somewhat explained in the way it all turned out, and I'll say no more, because I wish to remain spoiler-free!  Aside from this difficulty, I thought this a very interesting and unusual story and I could easily identify with poor, frazzled and exhausted Sally, as two of my three children believed that sleep was a waste of their lives.  However, thankfully I never found myself, like Sally, waking alone in the back of a taxi at the far end of the country in pyjamas and a raincoat, and with just enough cash to cover the fare.  This is a pacey and complex story which contains plenty to keep the reader guessing as a nightmarish series of events unfolds and a family's safety and happiness is jeopardised..

The Woman in Black by Kerry Wilkinson

Kerry Wilkinson has created a fascinating character in Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniels and in this, the third in the series, she seems to be learning better to work in a team while retaining her ability to think outside of the box and combine instinct and deduction to solve some of the crimes that fall to her to investigate.

The story starts with a severed hand being left in a very public place in Manchester.  A mother is reporting her son missing and then a package arrives at the police station, addressed to Senior Detective.  The parcel reveals a finger removed from the hand - and DNA evidence shows that the hand and finger are not the missing young man.

Then a second hand and finger surface, and  it is a DNA match for the missing son.  Similar modus as last time, but this time it is addressed to Jessica, so it feels as if it's getting personal, and seems as if there might possibly be a serial killer at work - except there are only hands and fingers, but no further body parts.  Careful scrutiny of security camera footage suggests the hands are being planted by a woman dressed in a hooded black cape and low heels. The search is on for connections between victims, and to discover what is going on.

This is a really gripping story and a very satisfying read.  Happily, there are more cases to enjoy in the series beyond this one, but I am totally hooked on these books and am happily anticipating the next instalment.

The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle

A gripping thriller about what happens when tragedy strikes.  Iris Griffiths is appalled when a plane from her local airport crashes - and her beloved husband has just flown out to go to Florida for a work conference.  The plane in question was on its way to Seattle, so she is relieved that he must be fine, although concerned that she cannot make contact with him.  It then transpires that his name was on the passenger list of both flights and that he is missing...  What is going on?

This is a fascinating tale of deceit and deception, and there are so many secrets for Iris to uncover before she can discover the truth about her husband and her marriage.  Iris is a sympathetic heroine and this is a well-written and cleverly crafted story which makes compelling reading.

While You Were Sleeping by Kathryn Croft

Start reading this book in the keen anticipation that it will keep you gripped and wondering about just about every character until its chilling denouement.  

Tara is the main character, and she lives in a South London cul-de-sac with her husband Noah, teenaged daughter Sophie and son Spencer (11).  One night, when her husband is away on business, she pops in to speak to her neighbour, and ends up having a drink with the neighbour's husband.  The next thing she knows, she is waking up in her neighbour's bed, next to Lee - who is dead - with no memory of how this came to pass but certain she had not had enough to drink to explain this lapse.  Shocked, she makes her escape from the house and begins the switchback journey to make sense of what happened, initially deciding not to go to the police.  There are plenty of shocks and surprises along the way and Tara's trust in all of her family is challenged to the extreme.  

The Day She Can't Forget, by Meg Carter

An unusual, intriguing and engrossing thriller which is a thoroughly enjoyable read.  Zeb's mysterious injuries and memory loss land her in hospital, but she is determined to solve the enigma of how she came to be where she was found, far from home, and what had led her into danger.  However, retracing the few steps she can recall could help her find herself - or take her back into peril.  As she seeks to secure the future for herself and her son, Matty, she needs to travel into her misty past.  Who is it safe to trust, and can she even she trust herself?  Plenty to keep the reader guessing right to the end.

The Gift by Louise Jensen

What a brilliant thriller: intense suspense, more twists than a country lane, and a clever, original plot that is engrossing and enthralling from beginning to end.  Jenna, the main character, has received a heart transplant but discovers that this amazing gift of a second chance at life comes with a cost.  She starts to experience dreams and recollections that are not her own.  Is she being possessed by her donor?  Her life becomes more traumatic and out of control as she tries to make sense of it all, and danger is lurking.  It's an amazing story that is utterly gripping, a terrific read.

What Remains of Me by A. L. Gaylin

An exciting, suspenseful thriller which kept me engrossed, enthralled and guessing right to the end.  There is a web of tangled secrets to be unravelled when death continues to follow Kelly Lund.   Convicted of murder at the age of seventeen when the body of a Hollywood director is discovered, she serves her time and picks up the pieces of her life.  When her father-in-law is found fatally shot, suspicion falls on her again.  But what has really happened, and has there been a gross misjustice?   Who is innocent and who is guilty?  This book really deserves to be described as a thriller.

Girl Unknown, by Karen Perry.

The makings of a great thriller.  First year student Zoe turns up in the office of university lecturer David Connolly and reveals to him that he is her father and she the product of a long ago fling before he married Caroline and had two lovely children with her.  Is Zoe who she says she is?  What are her intentions?  And why is this secret only revealed now?  So far, so good.  However, I was infuriated by David's reactions and unconvinced by his reasoning in not telling his wife and talking it through with her, and how he was prepared to jeopardise the security and well-being of his family for the sake of someone who is a virtual stranger.  He treats, I thought, Caroline, particularly badly and so he lost my sympathy altogether.  Unfortunately, neither Caroline or any of the other characters really found it and so I was frustrated by the story.  Maybe it was just me, because this book has had wonderful reviews elsewhere, but I was disappointed and so relieved when it came to an end,

Lie With Me by Sabine Durrant

Such an unusual thriller, set in London where the past catches up with has-been author, Paul, and an Ionian island, where he joins a group of old friends for a reunion holiday in the sun.  Paul is something of a fantasist and freeloader, who has spent a dissolute youth and whose drink-drenched memories of ever more youthful conquests are somewhat sketchy.  He has been basking in precocious literary success for a long time, and nothing written since has found favour with his publisher.  But will the exploiter be exploited?  Or can he turn the tables once again?  And has he at last found love?  Sabine Durrant manages to create a character in Paul who is much more engaging than he should be, and has written him into a compelling, suspenseful and dramatic tale in well described settings.  A jolly good read.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

This book is such a killer chiller thriller. Every parent's nightmare is the disappearance of their baby, so when this happens to Anne and Marco while they are visiting their next door neighbours with the baby alarm as their babysitter suddenly has to let them down, it is all too easy to identify with their distress, panic and pain when, on one of their half-hourly checks, little Cora has gone from her cot. At six months old, she cannot have removed herself, so what has happened? Clearly someone has taken her, but who, and why? So the waiting game begins, and so does the guilt, and so does the uncovering of secrets. Anne is forced to consider just who would take her baby and why, and who she can trust. The police are involved - will they solve the mystery and return the baby home? This tale is gripping and compulsive reading, with so many twists and turns that it keeps the reader guessing most enjoyably, right to the shocking end. An excellent grip lit read.

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Another stonker of a story from Liane Moriarty. She has the gift of creating believable, familiar, three dimensional characters and of taking a situation and minutely dissecting it with almost forensic detail, weaving its precursors and impact on those characters into a compelling, entertaining and darkly humourous psychological thriller. She teases the reader with possibilities and enthrals as the tale unfolds. A brilliant book.

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent,

A monster lurks within these pages, nesting in buried secrets, watching and waiting.  Who it is and what monstrous actions they will cause is cleverly woven into this tale of two Irish families and how their lives become connected across the class divide  Tense and unsettling, a story of Laurence's childhood evolves into a powerful psychological thriller as the monster claims its victims.  Grip lit at its best!

The Beauty of the End, by Debbie Howells

A moving and powerful story of Noah's relationship with Grace, from adolescence, when he, an unpopular and bullied outsider, is smitten and besotted by the goddess he perceives her to be, to an excavation of secrets in a search for the truth as a desperate situation unfolds. What has Grace been hiding and what has been haunting her? What is his old school friend, Matt's, role in this? This is a taut and intelligently crafted story, a psychological thriller to keep the reader guessing, and a compelling read.

All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

A somewhat difficult book to read and to review, without giving too much away.  The book is set in small town America and opens with the story of a teenager going to her first house party, invited by her crush.  Things do not work out as anyone would have hoped, and there is an account of a harrowing, brutal rape which I found hard to read and almost gave up.  However, I persevered.  The victim, Jenny is given a drug treatment to erase the memories of this horrible attack, even though it will hinder police investigation of the crime, but it does not work well and memories begin to bubble up, causing much distress.

The next section is written like a case history, as a psychiatrist/psychotherapist gives his account of his treatment of Jenny and her family, and others who have suffered various trauma.  Having  worked in psychiatric and therapeutic settings, I felt very much at home with this, until events made me begin to question the professionalism and ethics of the psychiatrist.

The book throws up all sorts of questions and, as others have mentioned, would be rich pickings for a book club discussion: power in relationships, professional boundaries, the morality of removing troublesome memories of trauma as opposed to seeking to help trauma victims come to terms with what has happened to them and deal with triggers for PTSD are just some of them.  Also,  how far would you go to protect your child?

"Physician, heal thyself" seems pertinent, as does the famous Hippocratic oath, "First,  do no harm."  It is a thought provoking and good if (at times) difficult read.  My final summation was Macchiavelli meets Lolita.  It is a good psychological thriller that will keep the reader guessing.  It is powerful stuff.  You can buy yours in any good book store, or via this link.

 Wendy Walker has worked as an attorney specialising in family law. She lives in Connecticut where she is at work on her next novel.

Want to see what other reviewers have thought?  Here are the other stops on the blog tour:-

Blog Tour - The Killing Files by Nikki Owen

The Killing Files is an incredibly tense yet engaging thriller.  Maria Martinez is no ordinary protagonist: she is a highly trained plastic surgeon who has been convicted of and imprisoned for the murder of a priest, who has been described as paranoid and also has Aspergers Syndrome which  causes difficulties in dealing with emotions, anxiety and social situations.  She does not sound very likeable when described in this way,  and yet Nikki Owen has succeeded in writing her as a vulnerable and engaging character - I really felt for her throughout this book.

Having successfully appealed her murder conviction, she takes refuge in her native Spain until evidence strongly suggests that she is in danger.  She is concerned for the safety of her beloved family and the few friends she has found it so difficult to make.  Is she paranoid?  Is she being stalked?  And just what is The Project?  The construction of the plot is so clever, because the tension and suspense are maintained to the point that it is hard to stop reading and put the book down, and I found myself holding my breath and fearing for my blood pressure.  Maria's resourcefulness and longing for friendship are strong themes in this story and I am missing her now the story has concluded - but at least I can read the first volume of the trilogy, Subject 375, while waiting for the third part to become available.

As they say, "Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you."  The Killing Files makes for great reading, especially for those who enjoy psychological thrillers.  I really enjoyed it.

For more information, the Amazon link is here.

Nikki Owen is an award-winning freelance writer and columnist currently based in Gloucestershire.
Previously, Nikki was a marketing consultant and University teaching fellow before turning to writing full time. As part of her degree, she studied at the acclaimed University of Salamanca – the same city where her protagonist of the Project trilogy, Dr Maria Martinez, hails from.

Find more reactions to The Killing Files by following its Blog Tour at the above stops, until 11th June 2016.

The Missing Hours by Emma Kavanagh

The Missing Hours by Emma Kavanagh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is just brilliant, beautifully written with intricate plot and very real characters. I am in awe of Emma Kavanagh's skill. The detectives are fully fleshed human beings, the conflicts between the job and their home lives being understandably and sympathetically described. The investigation of a missing mother turns into a complex case which turns as often as a mountain road and defies all guessing. A deliciously compelling read.