What do you think?
Rate this book
DI Ellen Kelly #1
Hunting Shadows
'a tour de force...this is great writing' Ken Bruen
'Marks the entrance of a major new talent.' Cathi Unsworth
DI Ellen Kelly is at the top of her game - at least she was, until she took the law into her own hands and confronted her husband's killer. Now she's back at work, leading the investigation into the missing child. Her superiors are watching her; the distraught family is depending on her.
Ellen has a lot to prove. And she knows it.
A tense thriller that stalks the urban streets of southeast London and the bleak wildernes of the North Kent coast, Hunting Shadows introduces the forceful, compromised police detective, DI Ellen Kelly.
'Marks the entrance of a major new talent.' Cathi Unsworth
DI Ellen Kelly is at the top of her game - at least she was, until she took the law into her own hands and confronted her husband's killer. Now she's back at work, leading the investigation into the missing child. Her superiors are watching her; the distraught family is depending on her.
Ellen has a lot to prove. And she knows it.
A tense thriller that stalks the urban streets of southeast London and the bleak wildernes of the North Kent coast, Hunting Shadows introduces the forceful, compromised police detective, DI Ellen Kelly.
448 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2013
2 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Bugler
31 books109 followersI'm the author of the Ellen Kelly and Dee Doran crime novels. My first stand alone novel, The Lucky Eight, is published in July 2021.
I grew up in a small town in the west of Ireland. After studying Psychology at University College Galway, I left Ireland and worked in Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland, Argentina and London before finally settling in Eastbourne, where I now live with my husband, Sean, and our two children.
I grew up in a small town in the west of Ireland. After studying Psychology at University College Galway, I left Ireland and worked in Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland, Argentina and London before finally settling in Eastbourne, where I now live with my husband, Sean, and our two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 27, 2013
**4.5 stars**
Thank you to the author and publisher for the review copy – much appreciated as it had been on my wishlist for a while.
DI Ellen Kelly is at the top of her game – at least she was, until she took the law into her own hands and confronted her husband’s killer. Now she’s back at work, leading the investigation into the missing child. Her superiors are watching her; the distraught family is depending on her. Ellen has a lot to prove. And she knows it.
So. Crime Fiction. An overcrowded, highly popular genre – these days if you are going to publish a novel of this type you need a character, be they part of a series or just a one off, that the reader can get invested in, care about and want to follow along. You also need a darn good story, some secondary characters that add to the whole and a tale that flows along at a readable and effective pace. This book has every one of those things…
Lets start with DI Ellen Kelly. She is traumatised, flawed, yet effective and independant – she gets up your nose then touches your heart pretty much as she does in the story to the people around her. Add in a boss that has seemingly lost the plot, an ongoing dispute with the family Liaison officer and a family that is keeping secrets and you have all the elements of a top notch read.
The mystery aspect of the novel is terrific and will keep you guessing – plenty of red herrings, twists and turns and compelling suspects will have you on your toes – the pace is perfect with a good mix of character building mixed in with advancement of the investigation and sat right at the heart of it a relationship I loved…
My favourite part of this book was the antagonism between Ellen and FLO Abby. Despite their differences, despite the clashing of opinion, the arguments, the absolute confidence each of them has that they are right you sense almost immediately that there is a friendship and mutual respect there that is just waiting to happen…if only they could get over themselves. Wonderful – rather than the cliche of a possible love interest (will they won’t they get together) you get the intrigue of a…well, will they won’t they become friends. Perfect. Loved it.
All in all a terrific crime and mystery novel and I can hardly wait to see what is next for DI Kelly. And the rest of them..
Happy Reading Folks!
Thank you to the author and publisher for the review copy – much appreciated as it had been on my wishlist for a while.
DI Ellen Kelly is at the top of her game – at least she was, until she took the law into her own hands and confronted her husband’s killer. Now she’s back at work, leading the investigation into the missing child. Her superiors are watching her; the distraught family is depending on her. Ellen has a lot to prove. And she knows it.
So. Crime Fiction. An overcrowded, highly popular genre – these days if you are going to publish a novel of this type you need a character, be they part of a series or just a one off, that the reader can get invested in, care about and want to follow along. You also need a darn good story, some secondary characters that add to the whole and a tale that flows along at a readable and effective pace. This book has every one of those things…
Lets start with DI Ellen Kelly. She is traumatised, flawed, yet effective and independant – she gets up your nose then touches your heart pretty much as she does in the story to the people around her. Add in a boss that has seemingly lost the plot, an ongoing dispute with the family Liaison officer and a family that is keeping secrets and you have all the elements of a top notch read.
The mystery aspect of the novel is terrific and will keep you guessing – plenty of red herrings, twists and turns and compelling suspects will have you on your toes – the pace is perfect with a good mix of character building mixed in with advancement of the investigation and sat right at the heart of it a relationship I loved…
My favourite part of this book was the antagonism between Ellen and FLO Abby. Despite their differences, despite the clashing of opinion, the arguments, the absolute confidence each of them has that they are right you sense almost immediately that there is a friendship and mutual respect there that is just waiting to happen…if only they could get over themselves. Wonderful – rather than the cliche of a possible love interest (will they won’t they get together) you get the intrigue of a…well, will they won’t they become friends. Perfect. Loved it.
All in all a terrific crime and mystery novel and I can hardly wait to see what is next for DI Kelly. And the rest of them..
Happy Reading Folks!
July 25, 2015
4.5 stars.
I received a copy of this title, from the publishers, in return for an honest review...
On her way to school, Jodie disappeared. One minute she was there, fighting with her dad, the next she was gone. The father quickly becomes the main suspect and his previous spell in prison is not helping. DI Ellen Kelly has her doubts though. She sees a similarity to another missing child case. One that had an unhappy ending. Could the same person have snatched Jodie? Fighting her way through office politics and a tragic past, Ellen is determined to get to the bottom of Jodie's disappearance. Even if that means using some unofficial means...
This debut, from Irish writer Sheila Bugler, is the first in her DI Ellen Kelly series. The novel is set in London, where Ellen is struggling to get back to normal after a recent tragedy. A mother of two, she balances home/work like most women these days, but her back story makes for a deeper character than the norm. Placed for adoption, along with her brother, as a very young girl, she re-visits the past in order to regain her momentum in the present. The author makes her a more likable and realistic mother, as well as Detective Inspector, because of this. The reader can see her hard exterior shell, but know that she battles inner demons everyday.
The story of Jodie is told from many different angles; from the child's eye, the snatcher's, the DI's and Jodie's family. This makes the reader have sympathies for a variety of characters and none more so than the father of the previous missing child. A shadow of his former self, he is a man who aches for justice and revenge. The horrors that are described in this novel are not for the faint hearted. Child abduction is always difficult to read about, even in fiction, but the clever writing, and great characters, make those dark moments part if the bigger picture. The only (very slight) issue for me, was the repetition of the abductors voice. But, I can see how this may have been more about emphasising his mental status than anything.
Anyone who loves a good crime thriller will be hooked, from the opening chapter, and will be dying to get their hands on the next installment, 'The Waiting Game' , which is available now.
For fans of Louise Phillips, Tess Gerritson and Sophie Hannah.
I received a copy of this title, from the publishers, in return for an honest review...
On her way to school, Jodie disappeared. One minute she was there, fighting with her dad, the next she was gone. The father quickly becomes the main suspect and his previous spell in prison is not helping. DI Ellen Kelly has her doubts though. She sees a similarity to another missing child case. One that had an unhappy ending. Could the same person have snatched Jodie? Fighting her way through office politics and a tragic past, Ellen is determined to get to the bottom of Jodie's disappearance. Even if that means using some unofficial means...
This debut, from Irish writer Sheila Bugler, is the first in her DI Ellen Kelly series. The novel is set in London, where Ellen is struggling to get back to normal after a recent tragedy. A mother of two, she balances home/work like most women these days, but her back story makes for a deeper character than the norm. Placed for adoption, along with her brother, as a very young girl, she re-visits the past in order to regain her momentum in the present. The author makes her a more likable and realistic mother, as well as Detective Inspector, because of this. The reader can see her hard exterior shell, but know that she battles inner demons everyday.
The story of Jodie is told from many different angles; from the child's eye, the snatcher's, the DI's and Jodie's family. This makes the reader have sympathies for a variety of characters and none more so than the father of the previous missing child. A shadow of his former self, he is a man who aches for justice and revenge. The horrors that are described in this novel are not for the faint hearted. Child abduction is always difficult to read about, even in fiction, but the clever writing, and great characters, make those dark moments part if the bigger picture. The only (very slight) issue for me, was the repetition of the abductors voice. But, I can see how this may have been more about emphasising his mental status than anything.
Anyone who loves a good crime thriller will be hooked, from the opening chapter, and will be dying to get their hands on the next installment, 'The Waiting Game' , which is available now.
For fans of Louise Phillips, Tess Gerritson and Sophie Hannah.
September 6, 2017
Loved the ending as it threw a spanner in the works and made me rethink what happened earlier in the book.
An interesting detective series with a strong female lead. I will definitely read on in this series.
An interesting detective series with a strong female lead. I will definitely read on in this series.
August 21, 2013
With a nice little tagline from the one and only Ken Bruen on the front cover, and the mouthwatering allure of a new London based police procedural, I could not resist the temptations that this debut crime thriller offered. So did this live up to my expectations? I would say, categorically, yes….
Knowing my love/hate relationship with female police characters, and the intrinsic baggage of cliches that usually surrounds them, I have to say that DI Ellen Kelly, rose above the normal mediocre and largely predictable female protagonists that I have encountered, and proves herself a more complex character. I always cite the character of DS Stella Mooney from David Lawrence’s excellent and late lamented crime series as my doyen of London female detectives, so was singularly delighted that DI Kelly could easily give Mooney a run for her money. Although Kelly inevitably has dark secrets threatening to undo her career and liberty, with her bloody reprisal on the man responsible for her husband’s death, I actually found this very credible, and felt emotionally drawn in to the interior pain and anger that Kelly seeks to keep below the surface of her day-to-day life and career. Through Bugler’s pinpoint characterisation, Kelly is a woman of extremely interesting contradictions stemming from her complicated formative years, with her professional persona as a police detective, as a widow, a mother, and a woman who harbours not only a resilience and strength that fuels her air of calm, despite the anger beneath, in so many areas of her life, but interestingly causes her to question her ability to connect emotionally as she seeks to embark on a new fledgling relationship. By constructing such a multi-faceted character who easily carries the weight of the story, the importance of the plot could easily be relegated to second place, but Bugler does not disappoint…
I concede that the plot is an oft repeated one in terms of its use of an abduction of a young girl, Jodie Hudson, (reminiscent of an earlier unsolved abduction) by a seemingly beyond-a hope-completely-la-la weirdo fixated on the evil and brutal events of his childhood, but maybe all is not as it seems to be. Intrigued huh? The trauma of the abduction is brought to the reader through the eyes of Jodie in a form of stream of consciousness, as she seeks to make sense of, and more importantly try to survive, her ordeal, with the story mushrooming out to include a very intriguing plotline involving her stepfather that bats against the predictable conventions of a plot such as this. Throw into the mix, the personal and professional machinations during the investigation of DI Kelly, and all-in-all this is a thoroughly readable and satisfying thriller, and certainly merits a resounding thumbs-up from this reader.
Knowing my love/hate relationship with female police characters, and the intrinsic baggage of cliches that usually surrounds them, I have to say that DI Ellen Kelly, rose above the normal mediocre and largely predictable female protagonists that I have encountered, and proves herself a more complex character. I always cite the character of DS Stella Mooney from David Lawrence’s excellent and late lamented crime series as my doyen of London female detectives, so was singularly delighted that DI Kelly could easily give Mooney a run for her money. Although Kelly inevitably has dark secrets threatening to undo her career and liberty, with her bloody reprisal on the man responsible for her husband’s death, I actually found this very credible, and felt emotionally drawn in to the interior pain and anger that Kelly seeks to keep below the surface of her day-to-day life and career. Through Bugler’s pinpoint characterisation, Kelly is a woman of extremely interesting contradictions stemming from her complicated formative years, with her professional persona as a police detective, as a widow, a mother, and a woman who harbours not only a resilience and strength that fuels her air of calm, despite the anger beneath, in so many areas of her life, but interestingly causes her to question her ability to connect emotionally as she seeks to embark on a new fledgling relationship. By constructing such a multi-faceted character who easily carries the weight of the story, the importance of the plot could easily be relegated to second place, but Bugler does not disappoint…
I concede that the plot is an oft repeated one in terms of its use of an abduction of a young girl, Jodie Hudson, (reminiscent of an earlier unsolved abduction) by a seemingly beyond-a hope-completely-la-la weirdo fixated on the evil and brutal events of his childhood, but maybe all is not as it seems to be. Intrigued huh? The trauma of the abduction is brought to the reader through the eyes of Jodie in a form of stream of consciousness, as she seeks to make sense of, and more importantly try to survive, her ordeal, with the story mushrooming out to include a very intriguing plotline involving her stepfather that bats against the predictable conventions of a plot such as this. Throw into the mix, the personal and professional machinations during the investigation of DI Kelly, and all-in-all this is a thoroughly readable and satisfying thriller, and certainly merits a resounding thumbs-up from this reader.
September 13, 2013
I finished Hunting Shadows a few days ago and it has remained with me, always the mark of a great story. It’s difficult to believe this is a debut novel because the writing is so assured and the plotting faultless. Stories of child abduction, every parent’s greatest fear, are nothing new, but it’s the reasons behind these particular crimes that make the book so original, so disturbing and also very moving.
Families of all kinds are at the heart of the story and Ellen Kelly, a police detective who is also a believable mother and daughter, is an outstanding creation. She’s a widow and I found the back story attached to her husband’s death almost as fascinating as the present day case she’s investigating.
Too often the ending of a clever and twisty crime novel proves disappointing. I certainly want to be surprised, but I also need to see that this resolution was inevitable. If, in addition,I'm brought to tears, as I was with Hunting Shadows, then I’m truly satisfied. A superb read that I heartily recommend.
Families of all kinds are at the heart of the story and Ellen Kelly, a police detective who is also a believable mother and daughter, is an outstanding creation. She’s a widow and I found the back story attached to her husband’s death almost as fascinating as the present day case she’s investigating.
Too often the ending of a clever and twisty crime novel proves disappointing. I certainly want to be surprised, but I also need to see that this resolution was inevitable. If, in addition,I'm brought to tears, as I was with Hunting Shadows, then I’m truly satisfied. A superb read that I heartily recommend.
July 3, 2020
maybe 4.5?
Fab start to a new series for me : )
Fab start to a new series for me : )
March 29, 2014
Hunting Shadows
The thing that sets this book apart is its reality. A psychological crime novel which left me pondering for days. This could happen. Every element is plausible, every character believable.
Hunting Shadows as a title has layers of resonance: this is a story with history. On the surface, a police investigation into a missing child. Under the surface, determination, delusion, optimism, perversion and all the painful mistakes of human interaction.
I loved this book for its realism, its roots in South London, its appealing characters with their own baggage, the masterful increases in tension and the moments when I just wanted to put the book down and cry. Deft, clever, startling and delivers all the impact of an electric shock. Nothing graphic or overt, but sinister as hell.
DI Ellen Kelly is on my map and I want more.
The thing that sets this book apart is its reality. A psychological crime novel which left me pondering for days. This could happen. Every element is plausible, every character believable.
Hunting Shadows as a title has layers of resonance: this is a story with history. On the surface, a police investigation into a missing child. Under the surface, determination, delusion, optimism, perversion and all the painful mistakes of human interaction.
I loved this book for its realism, its roots in South London, its appealing characters with their own baggage, the masterful increases in tension and the moments when I just wanted to put the book down and cry. Deft, clever, startling and delivers all the impact of an electric shock. Nothing graphic or overt, but sinister as hell.
DI Ellen Kelly is on my map and I want more.
September 28, 2013
This book isn't something I would normally read so when I started it I found the subject quite tough. However once I got into the story I found myself caught up in it with real characters responding in many varied and shocking ways. As the story moves along it became a page turner and I couldn't wait to get to the end. A cracking read.
March 28, 2021
Messed up cops don't always make good stories
A child is abducted and the local police is looking for her. However the story is not about the investigation, it is about the people touched by the investigation. Ellen is a DI. She is coming back to work after recovering from the traumatic death of her husband and her taking revenge on his killer. Jodie, age 10, disappeared without a trace on her way to school. Her step dad ( who has done time for assault) becomes immediately the main suspect.
The most infuriating thing about this book is the lack of energy in trying to find Jodie. Ellen seems to be spending more time walking in parks than leading an investigation. Although the characters are believable in their complexity and their messed up private lives, the police work description (or lack of) is making the story less believable.
Subject matter: 3
Style: 5
Personal enjoyment: 4
Word: inconsequential
A child is abducted and the local police is looking for her. However the story is not about the investigation, it is about the people touched by the investigation. Ellen is a DI. She is coming back to work after recovering from the traumatic death of her husband and her taking revenge on his killer. Jodie, age 10, disappeared without a trace on her way to school. Her step dad ( who has done time for assault) becomes immediately the main suspect.
The most infuriating thing about this book is the lack of energy in trying to find Jodie. Ellen seems to be spending more time walking in parks than leading an investigation. Although the characters are believable in their complexity and their messed up private lives, the police work description (or lack of) is making the story less believable.
Subject matter: 3
Style: 5
Personal enjoyment: 4
Word: inconsequential
January 12, 2025
A new author for me and the start of a new series. Enjoyed this one. Good characters and a gripping story.
September 18, 2013
A wonderful book by a talented author. I love crime fiction and have read hundreds of crime novels in my life. I can honestly say I find it hard to believe this novel is a debut - as it's written with a confidence and maturity that belies years of practise and experience - or a God-given gift.
It opens with a child's abduction, sensitively handled, and cleverly seen from the viewpoint of both the abductor and abductee. Handling a variety of characters, POVs and voices is no mean feat for a writer, but soon I found I hardly noticed the writing - and that is meant as a compliment. When the change in style from six-year-old girl to a mentally disturbed young man passes without a single question about the authenticity of voice or believability of character - then you know you're in safe hands.
The victim's family, in particular the grieving step-father, are described in such detailed accuracy, that we can not help but feel their pain and sympathise with the injustice meted out by an unsympathetic Met police whose priority has to be the missing child. I loved how the complex themes of loss, revenge and forgiveness were woven expertly into the narrative and added real depth to the story.
Hunting Shadows is the first book in a series, and here we are introduced to DI Ellen Kelly, recently back in the force following the death of her husband and a painful history of recrimination. Ellen is a complex, well-rounded and instantly likeable character whom the author handles with skill. Ellen's Irish roots shine through (no doubt aided by the author's own Irish background) and it's not long into the book before her whole family and history feel as at home to us as our own.
The plot and pace is handled superbly, clever twists and turns lead us one way and then the next, resulting in a terrifying page-turning conclusion that left me gripped.
Five stars and highly recommended!
It opens with a child's abduction, sensitively handled, and cleverly seen from the viewpoint of both the abductor and abductee. Handling a variety of characters, POVs and voices is no mean feat for a writer, but soon I found I hardly noticed the writing - and that is meant as a compliment. When the change in style from six-year-old girl to a mentally disturbed young man passes without a single question about the authenticity of voice or believability of character - then you know you're in safe hands.
The victim's family, in particular the grieving step-father, are described in such detailed accuracy, that we can not help but feel their pain and sympathise with the injustice meted out by an unsympathetic Met police whose priority has to be the missing child. I loved how the complex themes of loss, revenge and forgiveness were woven expertly into the narrative and added real depth to the story.
Hunting Shadows is the first book in a series, and here we are introduced to DI Ellen Kelly, recently back in the force following the death of her husband and a painful history of recrimination. Ellen is a complex, well-rounded and instantly likeable character whom the author handles with skill. Ellen's Irish roots shine through (no doubt aided by the author's own Irish background) and it's not long into the book before her whole family and history feel as at home to us as our own.
The plot and pace is handled superbly, clever twists and turns lead us one way and then the next, resulting in a terrifying page-turning conclusion that left me gripped.
Five stars and highly recommended!
November 4, 2013
A copy was provided by Brandon publishing in return for an honest review.
Hunting Shadows is a different breed of crime thriller. Life doesn't begin at the start of this novel. The reader is thrown into turmoil. Ellen has had a hard childhood, her husband is dead and she is only now returning to work after suffering from a breakdown.
The story itself is not original (disturbed child kidnapper) but the appeal here lies in the authenticity of the characters. Ellen is gritty. A killer obsessed with her work, sometimes to a fault. Baxter, her boss is determined that he be the one to find Jodie and will lay the blame at any doorstep he sees fit.
The Story is skilfully paced and drags the reader along for the ride. More than once I thought I had the story figured out, only to be drip fed fragments of information that proved me wrong. As the narrative accelerates to heart wrenching finish I was left hungry for more.
Fans of Karin Slaughter will love the gritty realism and imperfection that is sometimes lacking in her novels.
Detective Jack Taylor...you may step down now.
This is a thrilling début. I predict a bright future for Sheila Bugler and Detective Ellen Kelly.
September 7, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ellen, the lead character, is likeable and gutsy. The story is fast paced and keeps you wanting to read on. I found it very hard to put it down each time! I recommend it to all and I can't wait for the next installment.
September 17, 2013
Couldn't put it down, every day I wanted to find out what happened to Ellen and the other characters. Looking forward to the next book!
February 16, 2020
The story grabbed me from the start, thanks to the quality of the writing, the high stakes and the sharpness of the characters. DI Ellen Kelly in particular was vividly drawn with her flaws, self-doubts and fears, adding to the tension and suspense.
The abduction of a child must be a parent’s worst nightmare and this was well-portrayed throughout the story as the pressure mounted and facades began to crumble. Though it’s pretty much impossible to like or empathise with someone who takes a child, the abductor could also be viewed as a victim of a tragic past he never recovered from.
There’s a lot going on as the story develops and deepens, with Ellen and the police floundering for much of the story. The climax is exciting with a twist that wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it didn’t take anything away from the impact. I wasn’t overly keen on the way the viewpoint kept switching around during the climax, making it a little bitty, but it’s a minor niggle.
If you enjoy police procedurals with strong, but flawed characters, high stakes and a complex plot, Hunting Shadows is well worth reading.
The abduction of a child must be a parent’s worst nightmare and this was well-portrayed throughout the story as the pressure mounted and facades began to crumble. Though it’s pretty much impossible to like or empathise with someone who takes a child, the abductor could also be viewed as a victim of a tragic past he never recovered from.
There’s a lot going on as the story develops and deepens, with Ellen and the police floundering for much of the story. The climax is exciting with a twist that wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it didn’t take anything away from the impact. I wasn’t overly keen on the way the viewpoint kept switching around during the climax, making it a little bitty, but it’s a minor niggle.
If you enjoy police procedurals with strong, but flawed characters, high stakes and a complex plot, Hunting Shadows is well worth reading.
August 11, 2023
Phew, this southeast London crime drama is a powerful and impressive first novel! DI Ellen Kelly has been on enforced leave after killing her husband’s murderer. Theoretically she’s expected to ease back in, but all bets are off when a young girl is snatched on her way to school and her erratic boss seems hellbent on forcing the investigation to focus solely on the girl’s evasive step-father. While edgy, tense, and well-written, this wasn’t an easy read, exploring kidnapping, historical child abuses, and mental illness, and flicking back and forth between the grim investigation, the scared and slowly deteriorating child, and the anguished perpetrator. I really liked Ellen Kelly, she was intelligent, forthright, and lacked the seemingly obligatory main-character flaws that make some police procedurals just too unbelievable. Actor Zara Ramm did an impressive job on the audiobook, especially singing the children’s songs, projecting the mental instability, and the two Welsh characters!
July 9, 2019
I would give this book 3.5 stars. The first in the series with DI Ellen Kelly is showing great promise. The nasty topic of child abduction was well handled with good dialogue and characters. My only criticism would be a little too much of Ellen and her children and a little too light on police procedure. I’ve said before when reviewing crime that I’m a bit over single female DI’s who put the job before their children and this series seems to be shaping up for more of the same. I like children to be safe and well cared for but that’s just me! I do prefer my female cops to be childless as I’m uncomfortable with the neglect inherent in these stories. Having said that I’m about to start the second book in the series giving Ellen the benefit of the doubt for now.
August 23, 2017
A well paced novel - fabulous narrator who portrayed the characters impressively. Plot was well constructed and one of the more realistic police novels I've read. I did feel the end was a little rushed but a satisfying read.
July 20, 2020
An interesting read - featuring a lot of quite unlikeable characters. This follows the main protagonist who has just returned to work in the police to join the hunt for a missing girl. This is an easy read, that does draw you in and i would definitely read more from the author
August 7, 2020
Swapping between Greenwich, the Kent coast and a brief trip to Eastbourne, Detective Inspector Ellen Kelly led us through her latest case. Hard hitting, fascinating and disturbing. I was hooked for a week.
October 4, 2020
Chilling.
Great book. I love the way the characters are described so well that you really feel you know them. Quite chilling with some of them! Very good plot as always, keeps you guessing right to the end.
Great book. I love the way the characters are described so well that you really feel you know them. Quite chilling with some of them! Very good plot as always, keeps you guessing right to the end.
April 29, 2021
I liked the characters, particularly the father of the missing child who I thought was complex and well developed. I found the book a challenging read due to the upsetting content with a lot of graphic child abuse and neglect, particularly in some of the character flashbacks.
October 30, 2022
Good story and the central character is good, though both perhaps lacked a bit of depth. As a fan of LJ Ross and Elly Griffiths, not sure I would be so keen to get into this new series of crime stories.
September 9, 2017
Audio version of this book- ok storyline, a bit slow. Good narration
November 10, 2017
Excellent story. Really enjoyed it
June 5, 2018
it was ok. I found it a bit slow moving. And the end with the train was a bit bizare.
August 19, 2018
First book I’ve read by this author and really enjoyed it, lots going on and some creepy characters, definitely be reading more of this authors work
February 12, 2019
Parts good other parts I found myself glossing over
October 31, 2019
story + characters = great
December 26, 2019
Damaged detective, creepy villain, gory fights. Wished more for Ellen at conclusion. May let go of this series
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews