Il caso Poppy Clarke

DI Ryan Wilkins #2

by Simon Mason, Luisa Nera (Translator)

I Wilkins, Ryan e Ray, sono l'uno l'opposto dell'altro. Ray, ispettore in carriera della polizia di Oxford, è bello, elegante, soave nei modi, figlio della borghesia nera in ascesa sociale, e i dirigenti puntano molto sul suo avvenire; l'ex detective Ryan è un bianco cresciuto in un campo caravan, è di aspetto trasandato e con difficoltà a governare la rabbia, tanto che è stato allontanato dalla polizia per motivi disciplinari, e adesso lavora come guardia giurata in un parcheggio notturno per furgoni. Capita al bel Ray un caso spinoso, che fra l'altro stride fastidiosamente con la sua situazione matrimoniale. È sparita Poppy, una deliziosa bambina sfuggita al controllo della madre all'uscita dall'esclusivo asilo che frequentava. Non se ne cava un ragno dal buco, ma la fortuna di Ray è che Ryan, in privato, s'è intestardito dietro la morte di un suo vecchio compagno di scuola che, appena prima di essere travolto da un pirata della strada, gli ha lanciato uno strano messaggio. Mentre Ray annaspa, Ryan imbocca una linea d'indagine tortuosa e irregolare che conduce per vie traverse a connettere le due brutte verità. C'è un destino che unisce i due poliziotti, simboleggiato anche dalle vicissitudini della loro vita familiare e sentimentale. Queste scorrono sullo sfondo del romanzo (Ray è un ragazzo padre di un bambino per il quale va pazzo; Ryan aspetta due gemelli ma il suo matrimonio vive un momento difficile) e danno un quadro un po' malinconico della vita quotidiana della città inglese, che ricorda le atmosfere e l'intelligenza dell'ispettore Morse di Colin Dexter.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Procedural, Fiction, British Literature, Thriller, Audiobook

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2023

About the author

Simon Mason was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, on 5 February 1962. He was educated at local schools and studied English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. He splits his time between writing at home and a part-time editorial position with David Fickling Books, an imprint of Random House and publisher of his 2011 children's novel, Moon Pie.

He is the author of the Quigleys series for young readers: The Quigleys (Highly Commended in the UK's Branford Boase Award), The Quigleys at Large, The Quigleys Not for Sale, and The Quigleys in a Spin. He has also written three adult novels.

Simon lives in Oxford with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oxford Crime Book 2

Four year old Poppy Clarke vanishes from outside her Oxford nursery with DI Ray Wilkins leading the investigative. Meanwhile, ex DI Ryan Wilkins is now working as a night security guard and is just as unpredictable as ever. His adorable three year old son also called Ryan, loves to have conversations and tries his best to keep his dads colourful language in check. Newly appointed Superintendent Dave Wallace studies Ryan’s file and all may not be lost for his career with the latest diversity recruitment drive. As the search for Poppy widens and the inquiry deepens, Ray may very well need Ryan’s unique talents.

What a cracking series this looks to be shaping up to be! I love the chalk and cheese characters of very proper Ray and not quite so proper Ryan and their interactions are fascinating. I really enjoy the character of Ryan and admire the point the author is making about books/covers and rush to judgement as Ryan might dress like a slob but he’s one sharp, perceptive, intelligent cookie. The standout character for me, though not as prominent as in Book One, is Ryan junior, he steals limelight that’s for certain. I could take him home and it has to be said that Ryan senior is a great dad despite his loose lips! The dialogue between all the R’s is always entertaining with a welcome element of unpredictability.

The plot is well thought out, it’s gritty and tough in places as it’s an emotional theme. The pace is fast, there’s never a dull moment with some red herrings to keep you on your guessing toes. There’s excitement, danger and tension in several places. There’s increased momentum towards the finale and it has a good ending.

In the background is the wonderful setting of Oxford which is yet again used very effectively.

Overall, I really enjoy this book though perhaps not quite as much as Book One but I’m raring to go with Book 3!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books, riverrun for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down
The Broken Afternoon is the second in the DI Wilkins series, but it has a very different feel from the first book. This is a much darker, sadder book. It lacks the humor of the first. Of course, the subject matter - a missing four year old girl, doesn’t easily lend itself to humor.
Ryan Wilkins was dishonorably discharged three months ago and is working as a night watchman for a van rental service. When a high school buddy is killed in a hit and run, hours after Ryan had seen him, Ryan can’t help but investigate. He may be eligible to be reinstated - IF he can keep out of trouble. That includes not doing any investigations on his own. Meanwhile, DI Ray Wilkins is investigating the missing girl. Ray is also dealing with his wife’s difficult pregnancy with twins.
I have really mixed emotions about this book. I think part of the problem was I was expecting humor and it wasn’t there. I missed the interaction of Ray and Ryan. And Ray was not at all sympathetic, in fact, I spent most of the book mad at him. I don’t remember him being so egocentric in the first book. I felt for his poor wife. It also ticked me off that Ray refused to acknowledge the help he was getting from Ryan. But it was a great storyline and the actual investigations were realistic and well plotted.
I listened to this and Matt Addis is the perfect narrator for this series.

[Shannon M (Canada) · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE BROKEN AFTERNOON is the second novel in the DI Wilkins series. I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as the first instalment (“A Killing in November”), and so I waffled between a final 3-star and 4-star rating, ultimately deciding to award it three stars. But, to me, it had a true 3.5 rank. At no point did I want to dnf during my reading journey. So, slightly above average, with reservations.

Whereas Ryan Wilkins was the “star” of “A Killing in November”, and Ray Wilkins had a strong supporting role in that one, THE BROKEN AFTERNOON focuses slightly more on Ray Wilkins, and Ryan has the supporting part. For the reader new to this series, the fact that the two men, completely unrelated, have similar names, and the complicated friendship between them, is likely to be confusing. This information is conveyed in the first book—in fact, it is one primary focus of that plot—but is not explained in this second one. Thus, readers are likely to have strong differences in terms of enjoyment while reading, depending on whether they read the first book prior to reading THE BROKEN AFTERNOON. Having recently read the first one, I did enjoy the follow-up, except for my reservations.

A concise outline of the plot
There are outstanding reviews summarizing the plot, so I’ll be brief here. A four-year-old girl goes missing while standing outside her nursery school, only a short distance from her mother and teacher, who are talking and not paying attention to her. DI Ray Wilkins is assigned the case, hoping it is an instance of parental abduction, fearing that it is a stranger abduction. He follows the clues, which includes interviews with known paedophiles.

Meanwhile, Ryan Wilkins, a former DI, is now working as a security guard after having been dishonourably discharged from the police. He encounters an old schoolmate, Mick Dick, who is breaking into a vehicle on the lot Ryan is guarding. Instead of turning Mick over to the police, Ryan lets him go with a warning, only to discover that soon after, Mick is killed in a car accident. Ryan can’t let go of the feeling that Mick was murdered and asks Ray Wilkins for favours as Ryan privately investigates Mick’s recent activities.

This being fiction, the reader knows that eventually the two investigations are going to coalesce. The twists and turns that occur before they come together is the major strength of this story.

My Reservations
1. Ray’s wife, Diane, plays an important role in fleshing out Ray’s character traits in this story. She had a smaller role in the first book, but was, I felt, one of the more attractive characters in that one. She was desperately trying to get pregnant. At the beginning of this second book, she is six months pregnant and a monster. Her personality change is attributed to the physical discomfort she is feeling from the hormonal changes taking place in her body. It is true that some women suffer more during pregnancy than others, but I have never known any to go from angelic to demonic to such an extent. There are a few case studies of this type of happening, I’m sure, but the author obviously chose to describe an extreme, a rarity that seldom, if ever, occurs. Were a doctor to encounter it, the patient would receive immediate medical intervention. Diane’s rapid personality change really jolted me, and distracted from my enjoyment of the story.

2. Ryan’s sister, Jade, also reappears in the second book. Her personality hasn’t changed, but now she has a two-year-old daughter, Mylee. There was no mention of Mylee at all in the first book, and I felt she had been added strictly to increase the emotional impact of the concluding scenes. A change made for plot rather than a continuity of character narration.

3. Near the end, one of the characters is described as: Not quote normal unquote. My foster parents told me, insisted on it. The ending comes, and I still don’t know what this means with reference to this specific character. Yes, I understand that several other characters in the story are not normal, but what did this specific character do that identified him, when he was young, as “not normal”. I’m not certain that the author has a good grasp of abnormality from a pathological point of view.

4. I found the writing very uneven, particularly at the beginning of the novel. Too many run on sentences in a row. (I felt the same way about the first book.) Then, after a couple of chapters, the prose became smoother. The author seems to have a better grasp of dialogue writing than he does of descriptive writing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My review for the first book in the series:
A Killing in November (DI Wilkins, #1)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having really enjoyed, ‘A Killing in November,’ I was thrilled to read this second outing for D.I. Raymond Wilkins and his namesake, Ryan Earl Wilkins. However, the two men could not be more different. Raymond Wilkins is from a wealthy, ambitious and high-achieving background. His father is a presence in his life, although there is definite tension when he calls Raymond to keep his eye on his career. After problems conceiving, Raymond’s wife is pregnant with twins, but he is conflicted in this book. Torn between the needs of his wife and his career, between fatherhood and those carefree bachelorhood days. Meanwhile, Ryan Wilkins has a background of poverty and abuse. His father, a violent alcoholic, now in prison. Ryan himself, single father to a young son, working as a security guard after being thrown out of the police after the first book.

This novel combines so much within its pages. Centrally, there is the disappearance of four-year-old Poppy Clarke, outside Magpies nursery in leafy Oxford. A mother distracted; a young girl snatched. D.I. Raymond Wilkins in charge of the kind of case which sends the media into overdrive. Meanwhile, the wonderfully named, Mick Dick, a previous schoolfriends of Ryan, is discovered by him on his security rounds. The security guard lets him go and a terrified Mick is later found dead, apparently the victim of a hit and run. However, Ryan, twitchy, intelligent, damaged and dedicated, is unable to let his death go. This is intelligent crime writing, involving uncomfortable subjects with realism and understanding. Often those in charge are unsure and have people looking over their shoulder. This is Oxford, town and gown, with wealth and poverty side by side and with Ryan, the outsider, attempting to make his way back into the police force. A great series, I look forward to reading on. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

[Tittirossa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lunga vita a Ryan e Ray! Mason mette insieme la più classica delle coppie, a-tuttoforbitoecompito + b-pasticcionegeniale, riuscendo a non essere scontato e banale. E di certo non perchè (a) è un borghese nero bello ed elegante e laureato a Oxford, e (b) un bianco borderline che gira in tuta e cappellino da baseball. Ma per una leggerezza narrativa di tutto rispetto, che usa lo stilema del giallo per raccontare la società, i suoi vezzi, le sue storture

[Clbplym · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this second book and hope that the author keeps writing the series. The storyline is about the abduction of a little girl from nursery which is heartbreaking for the parents and the pressure on Ray who is leading the investigation is intense. He is also struggling at home with tensions between him and his pregnant wife, It was good to see how he leans on Ryan at times and the relationship between the two very different men develops. Ray’s boss is an interesting character who pulls no punches. He needs people on the ground quickly and so considers reinstating Ryan. Ryan hasn’t become any more sensible and does his very best to throw away all opportunities he is given but I was really rooting for him. I highly recommend this. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

[Annalisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un “giallo” abbastanza classico nell’impianto, con due personaggi che indagano (uno più bizzarro e indisciplinato, l’altro inquadrato e integrato nel sistema), in parte prevedibile in alcuni colpi di scena ma molto piacevole da leggere per il ritmo sostenuto e la prosa fluida e ben costruita. Non è solo trama perché non dimentica di raccontarci qualcosa della psicologia dei personaggi per farci simpatizzare con loro. Pare faccia parte di una serie che non so se continuerò a leggere ma che mi ha divertito e appassionato per un fine settimana.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d give this more than 5 stars if I could. The DI Ryan Wilkins series should be far, far better-known than it is. This sequel shared with the first a top-notch combination of gripping plot with writing that absolutely refuses to talk down to the reader. This mystery makes you work, and so it should. And Oxford is described more evocatively and precisely than any other examples I’ve come across. Scintillating and brilliant.

[Alessandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oxford. Luglio 2017.
Verso le quattro e mezzo del pomeriggio una bimba di quattro anni scompare nel vialetto della scuola materna privata, mentre sta aspettando la mamma; di primo acchito nessuno s’accorge di nulla. Dieci ore dopo, l’arruffata guardia giurata notturna ventisettenne Ryan Earl Wilkins, bianco e smilzo, naso e pomo d’Adamo sproporzionati, cicatrice lungo la guancia sinistra e sopracciglia spettinate, nato e cresciuto in una roulotte di periferia, fine cervello spesso assente e vagante, apparentemente goffo pur sapendo di kickboxing, sciatto rabbioso irriverente (e innamorato genitore del biondo Ryan junior, due anni), lavorando in un ufficetto angusto di una ditta di noleggio furgoni, vede parlare in tv dell’angosciante scomparsa, accanto al nuovo Sovrintendente Dave Wallace, il suo impeccabile ex collega ispettore investigativo 30enne Raymond Wilkins, bello alto nero, padre originario della Nigeria, laureato a Balliol College, campione universitario di boxe, moglie Diane finalmente incinta di due gemelli. Sente un rumore nel magazzino, scopre che sta criminaleggiando il vecchio giovane amico Michael Mick Dick, anche lui padre di una bambina di quattro anni: sembra terrorizzato e lo lascia andare.

Pochi mesi prima Ryan era stato congedato con disonore per gravi problemi disciplinari; Wallace intuisce che avrebbe molte capacità; lo manda a chiamare per segnalargli che ci sarebbe un complicato percorso per il reintegro, possibile; dovrà avere buone referenze e rigare davvero dritto, frequentando sedute di gestione della rabbia. Il capo si fa poi aggiornare dall’altro Wilkins sul caso di Poppy: la madre e il padre sono molto disperati, ebbero una separazione acrimoniosa, hanno continuano a odiarsi pur essendo entrambi innamorati della figlia.

Accade che Mick viene ucciso di notte da un’auto, e alla fine si trova il cadavere della bimba nel bosco... i due casi sono correlati e i due Wilkins arriveranno insieme all'epilogo della vicenda.

Bello, lo consiglio.

[Gabril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estate. Oxford è sconvolta dalla improvvisa scomparsa di una bambina di quattro anni, Poppy Clarke. Dietro l’inquietante evento si allunga lo spettro dalla pedofilia.
L’indagine è affidata all’ispettore Ray Wilkins, nero, avvenente, elegante, pupillo dell’alta borghesia inglese, mai un capello fuori posto. Un rappresentante delle forze dell’ordine con grande aplomb e oltremodo rassicurante.
Gli fa da contraltare l’espulso Ryan (Wilkins pure lui), allevato in un caravan da padre violento e madre sottomessa, magro, allampanato, gran naso e cicatrice sulla guancia; geniale, istintivo e incapace di reprimere i suoi impulsi rabbiosi che ribollono spontanei davanti al privilegio e all’ingiustizia.
Mentre di Ray cominciamo a conoscere il lato debole e oscuro, Ryan, ora guardiano notturno, è in attesa di uno sperato quanto improbabile reintegro in polizia. Intanto la morte improvvisa di un suo vecchio amico si intreccia con la delicata indagine in corso. E per lui, abituato a ignorare i protocolli, la tentazione di indagare per conto proprio è irresistibile.

La storia si svolge rapida e intensa, seguendo sempre la duplice e alterna prospettiva dei due Wilkins. Insomma: l’incredibile coppia Ray+Ryan colpisce ancora.
E anche con questa seconda avventura fa indiscutibilmente centro, grazie alla brillante penna di Simon Mason.

4/5

[Mrs Susan J Bociek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A completely absorbing, complex book. Very well written, great detail and observation of the tiny aspects of daily life that pass us by. Disturbing theme around paedophilia, the mental struggles of those afflicted and the terrible results of their desires - in this case a loss of life. Trying to follow the clues, the lead detective, Ray, is distracted by his home life; his wife is suffering terribly while expecting twins and she needs him more than he can give. Meanwhile Ryan, an ex-detective of the same force, is baffled by the hit and rum killing of a schoolfriend and simply can't help investigating without permission. On the cusp of a possible reinstatement he risks his entire future. As the two men each take their tortuous paths, their worlds collide resulting in failure, success and more failure. An incredibly addictive read.

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eh niente...Ryan Wilkins è assolutamente diventato uno dei miei investigatori preferiti. Aspetto il prossimo caso.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 2nd in a series, not as sharp as the first. The conclusion was foregone so the lead up felt like a protracted one-gag routine. It was discomfiting to have not one but both of our protagonists acting stupidly and wholly against self-interest.

[Julia Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing!

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Sarah ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valutazione: 4.5

[Paddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book opens soon in time after the conclusion of the first book in this crime thriller series, the brilliant A Killing in November. Set in Oxford, England, we are re-introduced to the main characters, DI Ryan Wilkins and DI Ray Wilkins! Much of the appeal of the first book centred on the ambivalent relationship between the two detectives, shaped to some extent by the class difference between them, their contrasting attitudes to rules and procedures, and in particular Ryan’s struggles with authority and his own capacity for self-control. So The Broken Afternoon is potentially the difficult second novel in the series, as readers are already familiar with these contrasting and compelling characters, written with considerable nuance and complexity by Mason. But here the characters are mostly working separately, so we get less humour due to less interaction and dialogue. The narrative works best when they are together, helping and annoying each other, driven by the same compulsion to find the killer. This book perhaps emphasises the personal life of middle-class Ray Wilkins a little more than the other Wilkins, a reversal of the first book, and his story is not as gripping as the difficult path that Ryan has followed. Both men have interactions with their fathers, but it is the depiction of Ryan’s relationship with his father that again heightens the emotions for the reader.

There is good pacing, and suspense, and Mason paints the interior lives of several characters as they reflect on their histories, fates and foibles.

I really enjoyed the book, but not quite as much as the first one; this may be down to the sheer freshness of that first book, and also perhaps the replaying of familiar patterns.

With thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for a copy of this book.

[ghostly_bookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAWPILE 6.57
3.5 STARS

Second in the Oxford Crime/ DI Ryan Wilkins Series.
I don't know where I heard about this series but the first book pleasantly surprised me- and this one did the same. I thought the pacing was spot on, the writing was decent, the dark subject matter was written with a great deal of talent and sensitivity (unlike a recent read of mine which shall remain nameless) and the story was compelling- the pages flew by.
I will definitely continue the series.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast paced and interesting detective novel. I don’t understand the point of having two characters with very similar names DI Ray Wilkins and ex-DI Ryan Wilkins, it was confusing and not at all humorous. The back-stories of the main protagonists are very well mixed into the plot.

I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[P.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have absolutely loved both this and its predecessor. The quality of writing is a joy. The plot is excellent, races all over the place and keeps the reader guessing. The characters are so well drawn one would almost recognise them in the street. A surprise for me, as I didn't know this author.

Five stars, a favourite and highly recommended - although I advise reading in order.
Would I read it again? Most definitely!

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the 2nd book in this Oxford Crime series by Simon Mason. Love the co trast between the two crimes overseas, on/off policemen with a difference. This was a real page turner but to enjoy it, read #1 first!
This is not the Oxford of Morse but definitely more of a free school meals Morse , without the colleges
I'm already looking forward to the release of book 3

[Sarah Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I raced through this book which is hard to put down . A complex puzzle of a case with the continuing interest of the detectives’ backstory. 4 stars not 5 due to the crime. A topic I normally don’t read about

[Sarah Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable couple of days spent with the DI Wilkins'. The story romps along and even though the content is dark and sombre, it never falls into maudlin or cliches. Looking forward to the next one.

[Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bit boring at the start and quite confusing lol but halfway through I kinda guessed the ending - turns out I was completely wrong and it turned put pretty unpredictable

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! I had not heard of this author before so I looked him up. When I saw that this was his second novel about DI Ryan Wilkins I bought the previous book to read first. I have been caught out before when I’ve read a book, not understood some of it, then realised it was the second in a series. Saying that, The Broken Afternoon works great as a standalone. It has everything I ever want in a thriller, and more. Ryan Wilkins is my new favourite DI. He’s tough, scruffy, uses dreadful language, and doesn’t give a monkey’s what other people think of him. He has a soft side to him though, especially where his young son is concerned, and the conversations between them made me laugh out loud. The plot was really well thought out and I was totally absorbed from beginning to end. I was disappointed when I’d finished reading because I wanted it to go on for longer, and am eagerly looking forward to the next in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for making my day!

[Reinhold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nach dem der erste Band wirklich nur schwer zu nehmen war, wollte ich dem zweiten dennoch eine Chance geben.

Was Mason positiv von der Masse abhebt, ist seine sprachliche Qualität. Damit steht er weit über dem was man allgemein als Crime vorgesetzt bekommt, hat eher literarische Qualität, denn Krimifeeling. Ich mag das, und deshalb schätze ich seine Bücher.

Der Plot ist durchaus gut gelungen, die Charaktere sind für mich dennoch eigenwillig. Das ist Absicht, keine Frage, ich bin nur nicht sicher, ob ich die Art wie sie dargestellt sind, wirklich mag.

Jedenfalls lasse ich mich als nächstes gerne auf die Fortsetzung ein, schon die poetische Sprache rechtfertigt diese Romane.

[Sandra Leivesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in this series so was very excited to listen to this one. I'm pleased to say it's just as good as book 1, if not better.

This time Ryan Wilkins is working as a security guard after being dishonourably discharged from the police. However; he is given the chance of possible re-instatement providing he can keep out of trouble. That doesn't stop him becoming involved with DI Ray Wilkins case of an abducted child!

Ryan is a fantastic character. He looks like a chav but he has a brilliant mind, and often sees things that others don't. As with the first book, Ryan's son, also Ryan, steals the show in every scene he appears, and I love the 'conversations' between father and son. I like the teaming up of Ryan and Ray. They're like chalk and cheese but yet it just works. This is fast becoming one of my favourite series. More please Mr. Mason!

I loved the narration by Matt Addis, which really added to my enjoyment.

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, and a sad case. But once again, now ex-DI Ryan Wilkins figures it out.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a marvellous follow up to Simon Mason's Oxford DI Wilkins series with its 2 markedly different central protagonists in former DI Ryan Wilkin from a impoverished and troubled background, a man with a volatile temper, with his saving grace, a young son, and unable to follow orders that has had him thrown out of the force, and the black, well dressed, Oxford educated Ray Wilkins, married to Diane, experiencing a tough pregnancy expecting twins. Surprisingly, there is a connection between the 2 men, with Ryan now working as night watchman, a security guard, which is where he encounters a stressed out old schoolfriend, once a boxer, Mick Dick, who talks of making mistakes and is found dead in a ditch after a hit and run.

Ryan can't help but look into Mick's death, despite numerous obstacles and orders to let it go, with Superintendent Dave Wallace dangling the potential carrot of being reinstated, a drawn out process to ensure he can address his issues. Ray finds himself leading the biggest and most stressful high profile case in the country, 4 year old Poppy Clarke, bright and joyful, dressed as a pirate with black and red ribbons in her hair, is taken from her nursery school, whilst her bohemian, pink haired mother's attention is elsewhere. Rachel's bitter divorce and custody battle with her ex-husband, Sebastian, has the focus on him initially, but it soon becomes clear he is not responsible. As public horror and outrage grows, it is the unorthodox Ryan who makes the crucial breaks as the links between the cases emerge.

Mason has created 2 stellar central characters, and he provides a terrific and detailed sense of location in Oxford and its notorious inequalities, giving us a detailed glimpse of the city, contrasting its poorer parts, such as Rose Hill, with the likes of the wealthier Park Town and Boar's Hill. This is a gripping and suspenseful read, with plenty of twists, illustrating the difficulties Ryan has in changing his underlying personality, whilst highlighting it is this essence of him that makes him able to succeed where others fail. He cannot help being who he is, even though it threatens to prevent him being reinstated, whilst Ray finds himself unable to be supportive to a Diane that needs him, his marriage in trouble. This is shaping up to be an unusual and unmissable series, and I am eagerly looking forward to the next book. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

[Sandra Vdplaats · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historic Oxford, on a sunny warm afternoon, a day when the lives of Poppy Clarke's parents will never be the same again, because their sweet, loveable little Poppy, dressed up as a pirate with ribbons in her hair, waiting for her mother, suddenly disappears.
A manhunt soon ensues, and when Poppy is finally found, the anger and the outrage in the country and the media is felt everywhere.

This high-octane and razor-sharp thriller features two protagonists: handsome, Oxford educated DI Ray(mond) Winkler, and anti-hero, 27 year-old ‘park trash’ Ryan Earl Wikins, with no formal education, and dishonorably discharged from the Thames Valley Police due to ‘lack of poor behaviour with an attitude far below acceptable.’ The two share ‘a fellowship of mutual irritation, or something else, sharp…, something passed between them, some shared pulse.’[red.]

The author uses the storylines of two different, seemingly unlinked cases, which at times overlap, yet only come together at the end.
Ryan's childhood friend, 'Mick Dick' arrives late at night at the compound where Ryan works, completely upset and anxious, looking for help, he appears terrified. Later, Ryan learns that he died the next morning in a hit and run. DI Ray is looking into the disappearance of Poppy Clark, while struggling with his home situation: his wife is expecting twins: she is irritable and cross, she blames him alone for her condition, and he is urged to sleep in the spare room. They are no longer on speaking terms, and despite the seriousness of their relationship problems, I found this part written with a lot of humour.

Because Poppy's parents went through a nasty divorce, in which the father received a restraining order, the father was initially suspected of depriving the child of parental authority.
Ray concentrates mainly on finding Poppy, while Ryan, who has been suspended, is mainly concerned with what may have happened to his schoolmate. Why was he so scared? And why was he sleeping in rented vans?

The story is told at a fast pace, with short chapters, a staccato writing style, with lots of slang, irony, and informal language use.
A very descriptive, gripping writing style, full of anger and emotion. without ever getting boring anywhere, with great attention to detail, and well-developed, likable two main characters.

I did find the scenes between Ray and his wife quite humorous, and how Ryan interacted with his infant son endearing. Despite the fact that sometimes life doesn't always go as expected, these two manage to make the best of it. Ryan in particular is a star in this. This humour brought balance to the yet heavy theme of the book.

Halfway through the book the story gains momentum, and it's like being on a rollercoaster, one clue after another follows, and as a reader you are regularly caught off guard, and when you think the culprit has finally been caught, another twist follows…

I have two daughters, and became part of the parents' despair. And the terrible thing is, that feeling never goes away, even now that they are grown up, the worries remain, always.
The author hits the nail on the head with his statement: 'we are thoughtless about what is the most precious to us...' [red]

A truly, phenomenal thriller, I stayed up late to finish the story. Really good writing, (I am familiar with his children’s books), this thriller comes highly recommended!

Easiest 5 star to give. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc. I leave my review voluntarily.