The body of a young woman is found underneath the coffin of another deceased person during an exhumation. The girl had been dead for weeks and was never reported as missing. Dr. Beth Adams, a forensic pathologist (former A&E physician) is called to do the postmortem. Who used this particular grave as a dumping ground and why? Then, another young woman goes missing and is presumed to be in danger. The police frantically search for clues of where she could have been taken before time runs out and they have another body on their hands.
There are many characters in this introductory novel, but Beth Adams is the main focus. She was damaged both physically and psychologically in a previous assault by a man she trusted and has become quite reclusive and prefers isolation at her highly secure home on the lakefront. Her best friend, DS Josh Walker, rescued Beth during the attack that changed her life, and he's leading the investigation into the missing women. Despite the attempt to dangle extraneous clues and red herrings, I suspected the identity of the perpetrator early on. I didn't really get too attached to Beth and the "romance" angle seemed so obvious. The reader may learn to like the characters as the series develops, so I'd give this another chance with a second book read. I just don't see some of the events, and Beth's participation in the police investigation, as realistic or believable. The author has left quite a few loose ends in the plot with development potential.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.
This is the first in a new series.
Genre - police and detectives, murder, crime thriller
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