This is the 8th book in the DI Gina Harte crime thriller series so don't tackle this until you've read the others. Gina is with the Cleevesford Police and this installment continues with the team that includes her sometime lover, DCI Chris Briggs. Gina has a complicated backstory that he is privy to but they can't seem to establish a real relationship for the usual reasons that include jumping to erroneous conclusions and miscommunication.
This installment starts with the discovery of a murdered girl, Amber Slater, in a park lake. Amber's neighbor in the apartment complex where they live, Lauren Sandiford, had reported her missing when she hadn't returned from a dinner meeting she had set up on a dating site called AppyDater. As they begin the investigation, question witnesses, haul in suspects, and examine scant evidence, another girl who looks very similar to Amber is attacked in the car park at a local hospital. Although Madison escapes the attempted abduction, the police are concerned about the connection between the two women and feel they are hunting for a man who has a type of woman he wants. When one of their own team disappears without a trace, Gina and her team step up the pace knowing that they must find her before it's too late. NO SPOILERS.
OK. Well, another crime thriller that evokes all the familiar tropes in this genre. There are certainly a lot of serial killers and crazy people in this area and the author dangles plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. I did think the motive for this killer was a bit thin and I found the story less than compelling. All the details involved in a police procedural described each step of the investigation although it seems that this far into the series there should be murders that don't involve dead women and serial killers. I think after awhile even the best characters wear out and it's time to move on. Maybe it's just me, tired of female detective series that all seem interchangeable with only the setting being different. Yes, I've grown with these team members, but I didn't find the same suspense or a fresh, unique case in this one. I haven't decided if I'm done with Gina Harte, but I never found the level of tension and surprise with the reveal of the perpetrator.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. Fans of Gina Harte will want to read this one and keep up with the series.
This is the 8th book in a series that should be read in order.
Genre - police procedural, crime thriller, female detective
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