Lost

Detective Bonnie Hunter #2

by Catherine Lee

A body in the bush. A troubled teen. And a detective haunted by what she’s already lost.

Mother’s Day should hurt less with each passing year. For Bonnie Hunter, it only cuts deeper. The coastal bushland of her childhood is a hard place to visit at the best of times, but when two campers vanish nearby, Bonnie is dragged from her grief into a case riddled with secrets.

A woman is dead, a man is missing, and two families’ lives have been torn apart. But is this a case of a secret affair gone wrong, or something far more sinister?

Lurking at the edges of the case is Mack, a local teenager with family troubles and secrets of her own. And as Bonnie navigates obsession, betrayal, and simmering violence, she’ll be forced to ask herself who the real victim is – and how far people will go to keep the truth buried.

Taut, emotional, and layered with suspense – Lost is the next unforgettable Detective Bonnie Hunter thriller.

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2025

About the author

Australian author of fast-paced, mostly clean, crime fiction.

The Detective Charlie Cooper Mysteries tackle some topical issues with crimes at their heart, set in Sydney, Australia.

The Getaway Bay Cozy Mysteries feature a charming collection of eccentric locals and visitors working their way through the alphabet of cozy crimes.

Missing, featuring Detective Bonnie Hunter, picks up where Charlie Cooper left off.

Reviews

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Where was she?’

This is the second novel in Ms Lee’s Detective Bonnie Hunter series. The story opens on Mothers’ Day, always a difficult day for Bonnie. She’s travelled to the New South Wales South coast and is about to visit a friend when she is asked to investigate the disappearance of two campers from a caravan park. While the body of one of the campers is soon discovered, the other one remains missing. And as the pair were married, but not to each other, two families have their lives upended.
One of those interviewed by Bonnie is Mack, a teenager, who seems to be holding something back.

There is plenty of suspense and gradually the various stories unfold. Bonnie has some demons of her own to contend with, as does Mack. And neither of the campers have had straightforward lives. But who killed who, and why?

I’ve been a fan of Ms Lee’s novels since I first encountered the Cooper and Quinn Series back in 2016.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. I like the intermingling of the characters-the teenage girl who helps solve a crime unintentionally and the friendship of the lead detective with her Department.

Clever plot. A few lose ends but entertaining. Ends in an unusual way with another story to tell. I wonder if there is a follow up with Book 3. Let me know if you read my review, thank you!

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in this series (I'm still finishing the first series but you can read this one separately). We learn a bit more about Bonnie's background in this second book. I'm hoping with the ending that there will be more to come. The narration was great (same narrator as the first book)

[Pam Tickner · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars rounded up.
A clever new Australian detective series featuring Bonnie Hunter. I enjoyed the coastal bushland setting of this, the second book. Interesting characters and a story line that keeps you wanting to read.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to finally catch up with Bonnie Hunter again. I do hope she will be back again.

[Ash Mouser - reads.byash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book!
Looking forward to the next instalment 🙌🏼

[Ruth Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good second book of Detective Bonnie Hunter, and it looks to be heading to a third instalment.

[Natalie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoying this series from Lee.

Detective Bonnie Hunter has grown on me. Book One was good, but this one was outstanding. I just wish there were more books to read from this author.