Three young teenaged girls go missing and are soon found dead near rubbish heaps. DI Natalie Ward and her team are sorting leads and interviewing witnesses. A tip leads them to the notion that the girls were attempting to take part in an online dare that they found on a website called DISAPPEAR. As Natalie, DS Lucy Carmichael, DS Murray Anderson and PC Ian Jarvis, along with the Samford Police bring in potential suspects and examine all the clues, they can't seem to pin down the "Warfield Monster". Will the killer of Savannah Hopkins, Harriet Long and Katy Bywater get away with murder? And then the worst possible thing happens: Natalie's own daughter, 14-year-old Leigh, skips out of school and doesn't come home. NO SPOILERS.
Although a police procedural and solid detective mystery, this is also a character driven series with the reader learning more about the main players with each book. I like the protagonist, Natalie Ward, as she seems to be strong and mostly together without the "hot mess" back story so common in this genre. She has personal problems with her family, but good working relationships at the cop shop. The secondary characters are becoming more well known and fleshed out as well with each subsequent book. The writing is engaging and the pace is fast. Plenty of red herrings that allow the reader to experience the frustration of the police as they keep searching and finding no answers. I like the series and plan to continue reading.
The topic of social media is quite commonly tackled across all genres of reading material these days. Rightfully so as the dangers to the young and immature can't be overemphasized. As parents or as responsible adults, we need to keep a close eye on and monitor the internet activity of those for whom we care. Just as the adolescent naturally tries to gain privacy and draw away from guardians is the main time we need to increase our vigilance. Trust, but verify!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'd urge you to read the series in order.
This is #3 in a series. Please read in order.
Genre -- detective and police procedurals
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