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Deliberate Harm: Was he taken by chance.. or by choice?
Was he taken by chance.. or by choice?
Some decisions cross a line and destroy everything beyond it.
No one stumbled into this.
No one acted on impulse.
This was planned - and it was criminal.
When seven-year-old Robbie disappears on a blisteringly hot afternoon, panic grips everyone who loves him. A crowded beach. A moment’s distraction. A child gone.
But Detective Inspector Ziggy Thornes quickly realises this is no tragic accident and no random abduction.
What happened to Robbie was deliberate. A line was crossed by adults who believed they were justified—who convinced themselves that breaking the law was the lesser evil.
As Ziggy unpicks the case, the evidence points not to a faceless predator, but to calculated choices, carefully hidden motives, and a truth no one wants exposed. Because admitting what really happened would mean admitting intent.
This wasn’t a mistake.
It was a crime.
DELIBERATE HARM is a dark, unflinching psychological crime novel about culpability, control, and the lies people tell themselves to justify the unforgivable. It asks how far someone can go in the name of love—and when protection becomes abuse.
Relentless, morally dangerous, and impossible to forget, this is a thriller for readers who don’t want easy villains or comforting answers.
Some crimes are acts of violence.
This one was an act of conviction.
Some decisions cross a line and destroy everything beyond it.
No one stumbled into this.
No one acted on impulse.
This was planned - and it was criminal.
When seven-year-old Robbie disappears on a blisteringly hot afternoon, panic grips everyone who loves him. A crowded beach. A moment’s distraction. A child gone.
But Detective Inspector Ziggy Thornes quickly realises this is no tragic accident and no random abduction.
What happened to Robbie was deliberate. A line was crossed by adults who believed they were justified—who convinced themselves that breaking the law was the lesser evil.
As Ziggy unpicks the case, the evidence points not to a faceless predator, but to calculated choices, carefully hidden motives, and a truth no one wants exposed. Because admitting what really happened would mean admitting intent.
This wasn’t a mistake.
It was a crime.
DELIBERATE HARM is a dark, unflinching psychological crime novel about culpability, control, and the lies people tell themselves to justify the unforgivable. It asks how far someone can go in the name of love—and when protection becomes abuse.
Relentless, morally dangerous, and impossible to forget, this is a thriller for readers who don’t want easy villains or comforting answers.
Some crimes are acts of violence.
This one was an act of conviction.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 4, 2026
This is my first book read by Catherine Yaffe. I was intrigued initially by the premise of a young child disappearing at a crowded beach as his parents’ attention gets turned elsewhere for just a moment. Isn’t that every parent’s worst nightmare come true? As a mom of five, that was certainly mine when the kids were young.
Who has Robbie? Why was he taken? Will he ever be reunited with his family and what will it take to have him returned there? All these questions were pondered as the case is taken by investigator DI “Ziggy” Thornes (full name is shared in the book but he was thereafter known as Ziggy). This case is anything but simple as the mother is not all that she seems, the father is and the other children, James and Sarah, are impacted by the behavior and secrets of both. Overall, the story was very satisfying as facts are compiled and a child is used as a pawn for nefarious purposes. I intend to read other “Ziggy” stories now that I’ve met him. He leaves no stone unturned in pursuit of the truth. I’d want him leading up the team if I should ever be in the UK in need of an investigator!
As a reader in the United States there were a few terms I had to familiarize myself with that are used in France or England, the settings in this book, but the author did a good job of including enough context so any reader could understand what she was meaning even while using some unique language.
This book was an Advance Reader Copy and I am grateful to the author and publisher for the chance to read it prior to publication. This review is voluntary and solely my opinion.
Who has Robbie? Why was he taken? Will he ever be reunited with his family and what will it take to have him returned there? All these questions were pondered as the case is taken by investigator DI “Ziggy” Thornes (full name is shared in the book but he was thereafter known as Ziggy). This case is anything but simple as the mother is not all that she seems, the father is and the other children, James and Sarah, are impacted by the behavior and secrets of both. Overall, the story was very satisfying as facts are compiled and a child is used as a pawn for nefarious purposes. I intend to read other “Ziggy” stories now that I’ve met him. He leaves no stone unturned in pursuit of the truth. I’d want him leading up the team if I should ever be in the UK in need of an investigator!
As a reader in the United States there were a few terms I had to familiarize myself with that are used in France or England, the settings in this book, but the author did a good job of including enough context so any reader could understand what she was meaning even while using some unique language.
This book was an Advance Reader Copy and I am grateful to the author and publisher for the chance to read it prior to publication. This review is voluntary and solely my opinion.
July 2, 2026
Deliberate Harm: Was he taken by chance.. or by choice? (DI 'Ziggy' Thornes Series Book 6), my fourth read from author Catherine Skeet-Yaffe, a 285-page kidnapping thriller with a take-charge main character. I’d read the first three books in the series & somehow lost track & here I am on book 6 now, but I’ll definitely read the two I’ve missed. High on my TBR list is Catch Me Twice (DI 'Ziggy' Thornes Series Book 4) “I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
Review of advance copy received from Author
A little boy is kidnapped, but there's more to it than it first appears and his mother's past is finally catching up with her.
Edge of the seat story. Well written and a real page turner, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns along the way. This book kept me hooked.
Edge of the seat story. Well written and a real page turner, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns along the way. This book kept me hooked.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews