What do you think?
Rate this book
Dundee Crime Series #3
Missing Believed Dead
Missing children! Internet predators! Dead bodies! She crossed his arms over his chest, and placed the jade beads in his eyes. ‘To remind you of me,’ she said. Jade was 13 when she disappeared, five years ago, and DS Bill Murphy suspects someone from her family is responsible for recent Dundee murders. But is it her mother, Diane, who now suffers from OCD? Or Emma, her twin sister, who was catatonic for a year after Jade’s disappearance. Or Jade’s brother, Ryan, who enjoys dressing in women’s clothes and is going through a sexuality crisis, unsure whether or not he is gay. What happened to Jade? Is she alive or dead? Or has she returned to wreak a terrible revenge on all male predators? Chris Longmuir is an award winning novelist. Night Watcher, the first book in the Dundee Crime Series, won the Scottish Association of Writers’ Pitlochry Award, and the sequel, Dead Wood, won the Dundee International Book Prize, as well as the Pitlochry Award.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2013
4 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 20, 2016
I sort of think I am coming in the middle of this, as although its a sort of standalone I feel I missed out on something.
I did manage to jump into it though quite quickly, but details from different characters what happened etc were missing for me. That will teach me to start a series from the beginning.
I feel the author has a good pace with this story, not delving in too deep to quickly or revealing things to fast so that the reader can be carried along like on a wave.
As we read we have only a small bunch of characters who stay in our minds as 'suspects' and I suspect that this author cleverly did this to keep us on our toes, she certainly did with mine.
The high brow subject of Internet Predators is high on the agenda here and of course, very up to date with life at the time in history.
DS Bill Murphy has got to familiarize himself with chat rooms as young girls have gone missing. Young girls who used chat rooms.
Are they still alive?
I know the cliche is 'the author kept me guessing until the end', but honestly and truly I was right in these pages walking along each step of the way, sometimes trying to run faster only to head into a brick wall because this author turned the corner around and I went THUMP into it. BUT I thought I knew who is was I hollered, no, wrong.
This is the first book I have read by this author and although I thought at the start I had lost my way by not reading the other books I got through this with no trouble at all because it was relevant to this story.
Watch out for this author, she is hidden behind closed doors and we as readers need to let her out.
Take a chance on her series because going by this one, it had me by the short and curlies.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this.
July 8, 2013
I have just been introduced to a new crime series, and I couldn’t be more delighted. Moments ago, I switched off my Kindle after reading the last page of Chris Longmuir’s Missing Believed Dead, and I’m so excited about the book that I was compelled to immediately write a review in order to share my enthusiasm with other readers.
In this, her latest novel, Longmuir demonstrates her finesse as a crime novelist. The story is perfectly paced; necessary elements are revealed neither too quickly nor to slowly, and the amount of action is realistic rather than dramatic and excessive. The author is skilled at foreshadowing, too. She subtly hints at key aspects, just enough to tease the reader without spoiling the ending. I found myself making predictions throughout the story, and even when I was “sure” I was right, I found myself doubting my prediction just enough to keep my curiosity piqued. I love that in a crime novel. I don’t want to be completely confused or have a nonsensical ending thrown in my face, nor do I want the solution to be so blatantly obvious that the story becomes dull. Missing Believed Dead is neither of those dreadful extremes, and it was a delight to read.
Longmuir most definitely has mastered the art of storytelling in Missing Believed Dead. This includes not only elements such as plot, pacing, and foreshadowing, but it also includes character development. I found myself empathizing with many of the characters, and as such, I cared about them and what happened to them. This novel is the third in Longmuir’s Dundee series, but I have not read the first two (Night Watcher and Dead Wood are the first and second, respectively). I have taken a particular liking to one character in particular, a police detective named Bill Murphy. I’d like to spend more time with him, so I’m planning to look into the first two novels to see if he appears there. What I really want to do is step into the book and give him a hug, but since I can’t do that I’ll settle for seeking him out in Longmuir’s other novels in the Dundee crime series. And even if he’s not there, I’m very confident that I’ll enjoy those books anyway.
It speaks to Longmuir’s talent that I was able to read Missing Believed Dead, the third book in a series, and connect with it as well as understand the characters and their actions. I love that this book is part of a series; however, it works well as a stand-alone book too. Missing Believed Dead is enjoyable in its own right thanks to Chris Longmuir’s ability to craft a compelling story. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys crime novels. It absolutely deserves a five-star rating.
In this, her latest novel, Longmuir demonstrates her finesse as a crime novelist. The story is perfectly paced; necessary elements are revealed neither too quickly nor to slowly, and the amount of action is realistic rather than dramatic and excessive. The author is skilled at foreshadowing, too. She subtly hints at key aspects, just enough to tease the reader without spoiling the ending. I found myself making predictions throughout the story, and even when I was “sure” I was right, I found myself doubting my prediction just enough to keep my curiosity piqued. I love that in a crime novel. I don’t want to be completely confused or have a nonsensical ending thrown in my face, nor do I want the solution to be so blatantly obvious that the story becomes dull. Missing Believed Dead is neither of those dreadful extremes, and it was a delight to read.
Longmuir most definitely has mastered the art of storytelling in Missing Believed Dead. This includes not only elements such as plot, pacing, and foreshadowing, but it also includes character development. I found myself empathizing with many of the characters, and as such, I cared about them and what happened to them. This novel is the third in Longmuir’s Dundee series, but I have not read the first two (Night Watcher and Dead Wood are the first and second, respectively). I have taken a particular liking to one character in particular, a police detective named Bill Murphy. I’d like to spend more time with him, so I’m planning to look into the first two novels to see if he appears there. What I really want to do is step into the book and give him a hug, but since I can’t do that I’ll settle for seeking him out in Longmuir’s other novels in the Dundee crime series. And even if he’s not there, I’m very confident that I’ll enjoy those books anyway.
It speaks to Longmuir’s talent that I was able to read Missing Believed Dead, the third book in a series, and connect with it as well as understand the characters and their actions. I love that this book is part of a series; however, it works well as a stand-alone book too. Missing Believed Dead is enjoyable in its own right thanks to Chris Longmuir’s ability to craft a compelling story. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys crime novels. It absolutely deserves a five-star rating.
July 8, 2013
Five years ago 13 year old Jade Carnegie went missing. She has never been found. Her family fell apart after her disappearance with her twin sister going into a catatonic state and her brother falling to pieces. Jade's mother was affected worst of all and her declining mental health lead to the breakup of her marriage. Now, five years later, people are being murdered and another young girl has gone missing. Is there a connection? Sergeant Bill Murphy searches for answers. Can he stop the killings? Will he be able to find the missing child and bring her home? Will he be able to do all this under the critical eye of his new boss who doesn't appear to rate him as much of a cop.
Missing Believed Dead is yet another fab book in the Dundee Crime Series by Chris Longmuir. Having previously read another book in the series, Night Watcher, I was really looking forward to this book. And, I was not disappointed. This is a gritty, suspense filled and extremely clever thriller. Chris Longmuir has developed an interesting and intelligent plot that will keep the reader hooked from page one! I have her book Dead Wood, on my TBR list and I'll be devouring it as soon as possible.
The characters in Missing Believed Dead are well developed and individuals who are each suffering their own personal torment. The descriptions of Jade's mother's grief will bring a lump to your throat, leaving you with an understanding of her deep sense of loss and a yearning for Jade's return. Even the imperfect Bill Murphy is fighting his own demons. He is very much an 'old school' type of policeman and a very likable character.
The subject matter of the book is a dark one - Internet grooming - and very relevant today. Chris Longmuir is an extremely talented writer who is able to draw the reader into a dark world and keep them involved and interested. I was so drawn into the story that I dreamed about the characters one night! I am now totally hooked on the Dundee Crime Series and I want more! If you love a good old crime thriller then this is the book for you! I can't recommend it highly enough.
Missing Believed Dead is yet another fab book in the Dundee Crime Series by Chris Longmuir. Having previously read another book in the series, Night Watcher, I was really looking forward to this book. And, I was not disappointed. This is a gritty, suspense filled and extremely clever thriller. Chris Longmuir has developed an interesting and intelligent plot that will keep the reader hooked from page one! I have her book Dead Wood, on my TBR list and I'll be devouring it as soon as possible.
The characters in Missing Believed Dead are well developed and individuals who are each suffering their own personal torment. The descriptions of Jade's mother's grief will bring a lump to your throat, leaving you with an understanding of her deep sense of loss and a yearning for Jade's return. Even the imperfect Bill Murphy is fighting his own demons. He is very much an 'old school' type of policeman and a very likable character.
The subject matter of the book is a dark one - Internet grooming - and very relevant today. Chris Longmuir is an extremely talented writer who is able to draw the reader into a dark world and keep them involved and interested. I was so drawn into the story that I dreamed about the characters one night! I am now totally hooked on the Dundee Crime Series and I want more! If you love a good old crime thriller then this is the book for you! I can't recommend it highly enough.
August 25, 2013
Chris Longmuir's latest Dundee Crime Series novel kicks off like a steroid-crazed Bruce Lee - hooking the reader at once. Reading on, I asked myself the same question as when reading Nightwatcher - how can the author sustain a whole novel, with such an apparently small pool of main suspects? Well, Longmuir can and does, keeping twists and suspense going throughout as we spiral round and round a traumatised family and the murders mount, feeling, surely we can tell who is doing what? But no, the enjoyable torment beloved of crime fans continues to the end! The author has great skill at tightly-drawn plotting and also at drawing characters who are believable and whose experiences have marked them in credible ways - but just who are victims and who are perpetrators, here? Another way Longmuir ramps up the tension is to feed us information (which could be misleading of course!) which her characters don't know - we want to shout out to them to see what's going on! Something else Longmuir does really well is deal with themes like child abduction and missing children and internet paedophile predators - I'm wary of books with these themes as they are often lazy ways of getting shock value into a book. Here, there is real knowledge behind the story, empathy, and a clever mixing of genders, ages, and motivations which use the stereotypes to keep us guessing even more.
This book brings back detective DS Bill Murphy, who is compassionate but a bit casual in his methods, and now we have a new cop in the form of takes-no-prisoners Kate Rawlings as his new, unimpressed, superior. I hope she will stick around, I feel their partnership will be a major asset to the novels, as we see things from both their points of view and, like the two of them, learn to appreciate the qualities of both. I look forward to their next case!
This book brings back detective DS Bill Murphy, who is compassionate but a bit casual in his methods, and now we have a new cop in the form of takes-no-prisoners Kate Rawlings as his new, unimpressed, superior. I hope she will stick around, I feel their partnership will be a major asset to the novels, as we see things from both their points of view and, like the two of them, learn to appreciate the qualities of both. I look forward to their next case!
July 1, 2013
This tough Scottish author runs a pair of devilish games here--and is in commanding charge of both. First, for mystery lovers, there's a wicked shell game that defies figuring out: Jade, a kidnapped 13-year-old girl presumed dead, may have come back five years later to punish sexual predators. Or could "Jade" actually be her mousy twin, Emma...her haunted mother Diane...or her cross-dressing brother Ryan? Excellent though this game is, the second game is better still: without sacrificing the fun or the pace, composing a serious novel, with a stirring sense of place, about traumatized family survivors. This third entry in Chris Longmuir's Dundee crime series has left me hungry to read the other two starring the wonderfully imperfect cop Bill Murphy. And I'll look forward to the fourth book for the return of Kate Rawlings, the tough new supervisor Bill acquires in this book. There are few pleasures in life to compare with finding a new mystery writer to love.
June 28, 2013
Thrilling read that kept me turning the pages!
Chris Longmuir has done it again. In this chapter of her Dundee Crime Series, we travel into the seedy world of Internet predators. DS Bill Murphy has to solve the case of missing girls who have disappeared after being on Internet chat rooms. Will he find them in time? Or are they already dead? In true Longmuir fashion, you never really know who the suspect is and just when you think you’ve figured it out, she twists the plot yet again leaving you with that ‘I was so sure I had it’ feeling.
Missing Believed Dead is a must read for anyone who likes dark, gritty crime.
Chris Longmuir has done it again. In this chapter of her Dundee Crime Series, we travel into the seedy world of Internet predators. DS Bill Murphy has to solve the case of missing girls who have disappeared after being on Internet chat rooms. Will he find them in time? Or are they already dead? In true Longmuir fashion, you never really know who the suspect is and just when you think you’ve figured it out, she twists the plot yet again leaving you with that ‘I was so sure I had it’ feeling.
Missing Believed Dead is a must read for anyone who likes dark, gritty crime.
June 29, 2013
Another great crime story in the Dundee crime series by Chris Longmuir where the reader follows DS Bill Murphy into the world of missing girls, chat rooms and unsavoury characters.
The discovery of a body leads to the re-opening of a cold case and Murphy becomes more involved than he ever imagined.
Told from different points of view throughout, the reader gets to know the individual characters; what they are thinking and how their internal thoughts wrestle and often conflict with their external actions.
A gritty but well-handled subject matter, a clever plot and a great crime novel.
The discovery of a body leads to the re-opening of a cold case and Murphy becomes more involved than he ever imagined.
Told from different points of view throughout, the reader gets to know the individual characters; what they are thinking and how their internal thoughts wrestle and often conflict with their external actions.
A gritty but well-handled subject matter, a clever plot and a great crime novel.
July 7, 2023
Definitely worth reading
This is the third book of Chris Longmuir that I've read, the other 2 being the first two in the same series, and I read them back to back. I didn't see what was coming in this book, which is unusual for me as I can usually figure out the plot pretty quickly in other books, so top marks to Chris for keeping me guessing. I would highly recommend her books to anyone who enjoys crime fiction.
This is the third book of Chris Longmuir that I've read, the other 2 being the first two in the same series, and I read them back to back. I didn't see what was coming in this book, which is unusual for me as I can usually figure out the plot pretty quickly in other books, so top marks to Chris for keeping me guessing. I would highly recommend her books to anyone who enjoys crime fiction.
May 6, 2020
I was really trying to find her suffragette series but kept missing! Anyway, these are very good. This third one has a missing girl who seems to have come home, thus causing more disruption in her family almost than her original disappearance. An excellent mystery, right up to the last minute (and maybe even beyond).
Read
May 2, 2022Who in scotland says "panties"? I've read better, stopped at p68
January 26, 2022
AIBA Book of the Day: 26 January, 2022: 034/41466
Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include MISSING BELIEVED DEAD (Dundee Crime Series, #3) by CHRIS LONGMUIR in the library of Awesome Indies' Badge of Approval recipients.
AIBA Book of the Day: 30 April, 2021: 034/41466
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews