What would a parent do to protect their child? That’s the underlying question in this fabulous new thriller from Gillian McAllister. The twists, the red herrings, the surprises! I never expected that conclusion.
The story centers around a missing persons case. A young woman named Olivia walked into a dead-end alley one night and didn’t come out. How could that happen? It is up to the seasoned police detective Julia to solve the case.
A sense of urgency is sustained through this terrific police procedural as the chapters alternate between Julia, a woman named Emma, and Lewis. Each one of them is a parent and each is connected to the missing person’s case.
Julia is a workaholic and her total dedication to her job has taken a toll on her family life. I was immediately drawn into this book and it’s intricate plot from the first chapter. The audiobook narrators did a fantastic job at voicing the the different points of view. It’s not a spoiler to say that someone is blackmailing Julia to stop looking for Olivia, but who is it? And how can Julia possibly go along with such a devious scheme?
The timeline of this book really had me thinking and I loved that. I’ll admit I had to rewind once or twice to make sure I had the timeline straight! But the payoff is so worth it in the end.
I was NOT expecting what happened in the final chapters of this book. I loved all of the characters with all of their flaws. I don’t know if the author is planning any more books with Julia as the main character but I’d love to read them!
About the Book:
Not everyone who is lost should be found…
22-year-old Olivia has been missing for one day…and counting. She was last seen on CCTV, entering a dead-end alley. And not coming back out again.
Julia, the detective heading up the search for Olivia, thinks she knows what to expect. A desperate family, a ticking clock, and long hours away from her husband and daughter. But she has no idea just how close to home this case is going to get.
Because the criminal at the heart of the disappearance has something she never expected. His weapon isn’t a gun, or a knife: it’s a secret. Her worst one. And her family’s safety depends on one thing: Julia must NOT find out what happened to Olivia – and must frame somebody else for her murder.
If you find her, you will lose everything. What would you do?
This clever and endlessly surprising thriller is laced with a clever look at family and motherhood, and cements Gillian McAllister as a major talent in the world of suspense and a master of creating ethical dilemmas that show just how murky the distinction between right and wrong can be.