What do you think?
Rate this book
DS Lucy Black #1
La niña del bosque
Una niña perdida en el bosque, una policía con problemas, un secuestro sin aclarar. Una novela que permanecerá contigo cuando hayas apagado las luces.Irlanda. En pleno invierno, una niña aparece caminando sin rumbo en el bosque nevado, sus manos cubiertas de una sangre que no es la suya. Una niña que se niega a hablar cuando la encuentran, que ni siquiera quiere revelar su nombre.¿Quién puede ser? Lo que más extraña a la detective Lucy Black es que nadie ha denunciado la desaparición de ninguna niña en la zona. Lucy comienza a unir el caso con el de otra desaparición, el de la hija de un magnate local que ha sido secuestrada días atrás.Lucy trata de ganarse la confianza de la chica mientras intenta solucionar su vida privada, marcada por un padre enfermo y cada vez más inestable y una madre intolerante… que resulta ser un alto cargo de la policía. A medida que avanza la investigación, la detective descubre una trama que se remonta a años atrás, que tiene implicaciones que afectan a la historia de su propia familia y de todo el país…
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2011
629 people are currently reading
5828 people want to read
About the author
Brian McGilloway
42 books369 followersBrian McGilloway is an author hailing from Derry, Northern Ireland. He studied English at Queens University Belfast, where he was very active in student theatre, winning a prestigious national Irish Student Drama Association award for theatrical lighting design in 1996. He is currently Head of English at St. Columb's College, Derry. McGilloway's debut novel was a crime thriller called Borderlands. Borderlands was shortlisted for a Crime Writers' Association Dagger award for a debut novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 673 reviews
September 23, 2017
When Detective Sergeant Lucy Black was notified of a child wandering in the woods in the dark of night, her immediate reaction was to search for her without back-up. The weather was freezing and the girl was apparently only wearing pyjamas, plus her feet were bare. But find her she did and Lucy stayed by her side in the ambulance to hospital. For some reason though, the little girl wouldn’t speak to anyone. No one knew who she was or why the blood on her wasn’t her own…
In the meantime, a young teenage girl had been abducted. The force was throwing all resources into finding her as her father was a prominent businessman. While Lucy was doing her best to identify the young girl, she also had the abducted teen in the back of her mind. She could sense that something didn’t fit – but what was it? And what was Lucy going to do with her own father whom she was caring for? His increasingly confused state had Lucy concerned; his erratic behaviour broke her heart.
Little Girl Lost is my first by Brian McGilloway and most definitely won’t be my last! It’s also the first in the DS Lucy Black series which means I have more enjoyment in store! Set in Dublin, Little Girl Lost is an excellent crime thriller – lots of petty criminals, plenty of greed and a dark vengeance which spanned decades. Highly recommended.
In the meantime, a young teenage girl had been abducted. The force was throwing all resources into finding her as her father was a prominent businessman. While Lucy was doing her best to identify the young girl, she also had the abducted teen in the back of her mind. She could sense that something didn’t fit – but what was it? And what was Lucy going to do with her own father whom she was caring for? His increasingly confused state had Lucy concerned; his erratic behaviour broke her heart.
Little Girl Lost is my first by Brian McGilloway and most definitely won’t be my last! It’s also the first in the DS Lucy Black series which means I have more enjoyment in store! Set in Dublin, Little Girl Lost is an excellent crime thriller – lots of petty criminals, plenty of greed and a dark vengeance which spanned decades. Highly recommended.
January 17, 2014
Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway is a William Morrow publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
DS Lucy Black has been placed on a high profile kidnapping case. When a young girl is found wandering half frozen and has gone mute most likely from her trauma, Lucy finds herself emotionally involved. This case is somehow linked to the kidnapping case which has everyone baffled.
If this were not enough stress, Lucy's superior just happens to be her mother with whom she has a less than warm relationship with and she tries to keep all this secret from her workmates just in case someone thinks she is getting special treatment.
Add to that, her father is suffering from dementia and Lucy is responsible for his care. He has been increasingly confused and continuously refers to her as Janet. She has no idea who Janet is. As Lucy tries to help the little girl they found and her father and work the missing person/kidnapping case, she makes a few major blunders. But, she also begins trying to uncover who Janet is and this opens up a can of worms that could put everyone Lucy knows in whole new light and Lucy may find herself a target for murder.
This is the first book I have read by this author. Originally published in 2011 this book is now available in digital format.
Cleverly plotted, perfectly paced, character driven and explosive, I am now a fan. I want more from this author. I love thinking person mysteries. This is a dark, gritty, detective novel with some violent images. There is heartbreak as we see Lucy take some pretty hard kicks from reality both in her job and in her personal life. The story was atmospheric, descriptive of it's Irish setting, and thought provoking.
This one deserves an A+
DS Lucy Black has been placed on a high profile kidnapping case. When a young girl is found wandering half frozen and has gone mute most likely from her trauma, Lucy finds herself emotionally involved. This case is somehow linked to the kidnapping case which has everyone baffled.
If this were not enough stress, Lucy's superior just happens to be her mother with whom she has a less than warm relationship with and she tries to keep all this secret from her workmates just in case someone thinks she is getting special treatment.
Add to that, her father is suffering from dementia and Lucy is responsible for his care. He has been increasingly confused and continuously refers to her as Janet. She has no idea who Janet is. As Lucy tries to help the little girl they found and her father and work the missing person/kidnapping case, she makes a few major blunders. But, she also begins trying to uncover who Janet is and this opens up a can of worms that could put everyone Lucy knows in whole new light and Lucy may find herself a target for murder.
This is the first book I have read by this author. Originally published in 2011 this book is now available in digital format.
Cleverly plotted, perfectly paced, character driven and explosive, I am now a fan. I want more from this author. I love thinking person mysteries. This is a dark, gritty, detective novel with some violent images. There is heartbreak as we see Lucy take some pretty hard kicks from reality both in her job and in her personal life. The story was atmospheric, descriptive of it's Irish setting, and thought provoking.
This one deserves an A+
July 25, 2022
Libro de ritmo pausado que va mejorando a medida que se acerca el final, siendo este correcto.
Entretenido para leer en estos tiempos de confinamiento. 7/10
Entretenido para leer en estos tiempos de confinamiento. 7/10
October 12, 2014
This is a series I will probably want to continue reading. It's being compared to the Tana French books, and while I see the similarities at the surface, deep down there is no contest. It's a police procedural set in Ireland, with the detectives and the citizens they protect all having their troubles. I really hope Detective Sergeant Lucy Black is given more personality as the series progresses. She is a cop and not much more, caring for her senile father when she is home. But she's never home, she is always being a cop. She barely eats or sleeps. The story with two young girls involved -- one lost who the cops are trying to find, and one found who at first cannot be ID'd -- was a bit confusing in places with a lot of characters and unusual words to get used to. Some sentences made no sense to me. But the storyline was a good one, well paced, which kept me interested.
March 29, 2014
This was only a mildly interesting read. There were perhaps too many characters; too many victims, too many bad guys, too many good guys and they weren’t developed with very rich personalities. There were a few subplots all interwoven with the main story. At times the interwoven subplots made the book difficult to follow. The main plot really isn’t clearly defined and to be honest, I can’t tell you what the climax of the book was because of that.
I suppose that the entire point of book one is to introduce what seems to be the main character for future books in the series, but it didn’t do the job of selling me book 2.
I suppose that the entire point of book one is to introduce what seems to be the main character for future books in the series, but it didn’t do the job of selling me book 2.
June 5, 2012
Stand alone police procedural by the much respected author of the Devlin books. Set in and around Derry the story carries much of the history of that troubled City as seen through a serving police family. There are several "little girls lost" in this complex story that will disturb even the most seasoned crime thriller reader. Never written to shock and with moments of humour the story is gently unfolded in short sharp chapters around the life of Detective Sergeant Lucy Black.
I particularly liked the familar woods played in as a child by Lucy now appearing dark & menencing. Fairy tales and much loved children's stories are also given a new and sinister touch.
Above all McGilloway's fine writing always makes this a very readable book, despite the horror and difficult subjects covered: kidnap, torture, punishment attacks, child abuse, homelessness and corruption. The central character Lucy spends as much time at the hospital as the police station, but the story unravels around her role and relationships. This is hindered by her caring for her elderly Father who has pre-senile dementia but even here there is a twist as BM spins his story and brings it together to complete a gem of a novel.
I particularly liked the familar woods played in as a child by Lucy now appearing dark & menencing. Fairy tales and much loved children's stories are also given a new and sinister touch.
Above all McGilloway's fine writing always makes this a very readable book, despite the horror and difficult subjects covered: kidnap, torture, punishment attacks, child abuse, homelessness and corruption. The central character Lucy spends as much time at the hospital as the police station, but the story unravels around her role and relationships. This is hindered by her caring for her elderly Father who has pre-senile dementia but even here there is a twist as BM spins his story and brings it together to complete a gem of a novel.
February 24, 2015
If you are looking for a good solid police procedural with a lot of atmosphere this is the novel for you. The protagonist, Lucy Black is a young policewoman who comes from a family of police officers. The book is set in Derry, Northern Ireland in winter, and reading it you can almost feel the cold. A city with memories of being in the midst of the ‘troubles’, it is in the borderlands where much of the worst fighting took place.
The story begins with DS Black receiving a call to the woods near her home where there has been a reported sighting of a girl. Knowing that in the snow and cold, the girl should be found immediately already puts Lucy in a quandary. In order to respond to the call she must leave her father alone. As he is suffering from dementia and it is too early for his ‘carer’ to arrive, she has to make a difficult decision. That is one of the things I liked best about this novel. It immediately causes the reader to form a rapport with the characters. The characters are well developed and the descriptions were written with knowledge and flair.
Believing that the girl who was sighted is the daughter of a wealthy local businessman, a teenager who they have been looking for, the police are disappointed that the girl Lucy finds is much younger. She is wearing only pyjamas and will not speak. After forensic testing, they find that her pyjamas are covered with blood spatter and that the blood is not her own…
So begins the story of three lost girls. The missing teen, the young mute Alice, and Lucy herself who identifies with them both.
Over time is becomes apparent that the ‘missing’ teen and the ‘found girl’ are in some way linked. But how?
Brian McGilloway writes of his native Northern Ireland with consumate skill. This is a sound police procedural mystery with elements of corruption and avarice that is contained in the best thrillers.
The book worked satisfactorily as a ‘stand-alone’ novel, but… I personally would love to see Lucy Black and her co-workers return in another novel. I guess others agree as the author has been approached for a TV series based on Lucy Black’s character and he now plans to create a series.
Famous for his Inspector Devlin series of novels, his move to creating a female protagonist was a brave one, but one which to this reader’s mind, was a wise decision.
The story begins with DS Black receiving a call to the woods near her home where there has been a reported sighting of a girl. Knowing that in the snow and cold, the girl should be found immediately already puts Lucy in a quandary. In order to respond to the call she must leave her father alone. As he is suffering from dementia and it is too early for his ‘carer’ to arrive, she has to make a difficult decision. That is one of the things I liked best about this novel. It immediately causes the reader to form a rapport with the characters. The characters are well developed and the descriptions were written with knowledge and flair.
Believing that the girl who was sighted is the daughter of a wealthy local businessman, a teenager who they have been looking for, the police are disappointed that the girl Lucy finds is much younger. She is wearing only pyjamas and will not speak. After forensic testing, they find that her pyjamas are covered with blood spatter and that the blood is not her own…
So begins the story of three lost girls. The missing teen, the young mute Alice, and Lucy herself who identifies with them both.
Over time is becomes apparent that the ‘missing’ teen and the ‘found girl’ are in some way linked. But how?
Brian McGilloway writes of his native Northern Ireland with consumate skill. This is a sound police procedural mystery with elements of corruption and avarice that is contained in the best thrillers.
The book worked satisfactorily as a ‘stand-alone’ novel, but… I personally would love to see Lucy Black and her co-workers return in another novel. I guess others agree as the author has been approached for a TV series based on Lucy Black’s character and he now plans to create a series.
Famous for his Inspector Devlin series of novels, his move to creating a female protagonist was a brave one, but one which to this reader’s mind, was a wise decision.
February 18, 2016
I received this book free through B & N readouts. This was a very quick read. I read it in about three hours.
This is the first book I have read by this author but it won't be the last. I was hooked from the first page and was not let go until the last word.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery thriller.
This is the first book I have read by this author but it won't be the last. I was hooked from the first page and was not let go until the last word.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery thriller.
February 13, 2015
Great crime / mystery novel. For at least the first half of the book,I wanted deeper drawn characters. It's very much a plot driven narrative. At times....often, I wanted more from DS Lucy Black, as in to know more of what she was thinking. Why? So that I could feel more friendly to her, and understand her better. The reader gets to know Lucy almost entirely thru her actions and the actions of those around her, which is not bad. For me, it's just different. I haven't read a lot of crime fiction. It's mostly more depressing than I want to be submerged in, but I'm thinking this narrative style is used more often in crime fiction, Lucy's family was driven from Derry by an arson event upon their home. Her parent's marriage falls apart after this and Lucy comes back years later as a police woman. Lucy's Mother has climbed the ranks at the police dept., and Lucy is living with her Dad,a retired police officer, who's life is deteriorating under the fog of Alzheimer's. The story opens with a little girl lost in the woods. Another young girl is kidnapped and the entire police dept is involved in this high profile case. The descriptive setting is one of the strongest points of the novel. McGilloway apparently grew up in Derry and the sequences that take place in the woods are eerie and atmospheric. Just when I think McGilloway is too predictable, he surprises me with a plot twist. Good read. I actually enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first. I feel more engaged with Lucy 's character by then.
May 20, 2018
I was only a short way through this book before I realised it had all the usual McGilloway hallmarks I was familiar with from his excellent Benedict Devlin series. A dedicated and troubled central character with a difficult job, unreliable superiors and a troubled personal life. A life on the Irish borderlands still haunted by the legacy of The Troubles, sectarian strife and business corruption.
The story is centered in Derry, which, although only about 50km north of Devlin’s Lifford, is, crucially, on the other side of the national border (i.e. Northern Ireland instead of the Irish Republic). A city which suffered more than any other (even Belfast) during The Troubles and the scars are still far from healed.
In all, there are four lost girls in this story. Two, the daughters of low-level paramilitaries, one the daughter of a prominent businessman, the other a former police informant. All their stories are tragic and, in the end, only two receive any sort of justice. Although the central crimes in the novel are eventually solved there is certainly no “happy ever after” ending. McGilloway doesn’t go for the quick and easy options and, for that, he is to be admired.
The story is centered in Derry, which, although only about 50km north of Devlin’s Lifford, is, crucially, on the other side of the national border (i.e. Northern Ireland instead of the Irish Republic). A city which suffered more than any other (even Belfast) during The Troubles and the scars are still far from healed.
In all, there are four lost girls in this story. Two, the daughters of low-level paramilitaries, one the daughter of a prominent businessman, the other a former police informant. All their stories are tragic and, in the end, only two receive any sort of justice. Although the central crimes in the novel are eventually solved there is certainly no “happy ever after” ending. McGilloway doesn’t go for the quick and easy options and, for that, he is to be admired.
May 5, 2018
Little Girl Lost is book 1 of DS Lucy Black series by Brian McGilloway. Detective Sergeant Lucy Black transferred back to Dublin to help her ailing father and was assigned to CID looking for a missing girl. However, things changed for Detective Sergeant Lucy Black when she found a young girl called Alice. The is event saw Detective Sergeant Lucy Black transfer from CID to Public Protection Unit. The readers of Little Girl Lost will follow the twists and turns into the investigation of the missing girl Kate McLaughlin and find out what happens to Alice.
Little Girl Lost is the first book I have read of Brian McGilloway, and it will not be the last. I love the twist and turns Brian McGilloway put into his plot. I also, enjoy the way Brian McGilloway portrays his characters and intertwine them with each other. I was engaged in the story of Little Girl Lost and the characters from the start. I was surprised with the conclusion of "Little Girl Lost".
The readers of Little Girl Lost will learn about law enforcement corruption. Also, the readers will learn about family violence and consequence it has on everyone involved. The Little Girl Lost also highlights mental illness in law enforcement officers.
I recommend this book.
Little Girl Lost is the first book I have read of Brian McGilloway, and it will not be the last. I love the twist and turns Brian McGilloway put into his plot. I also, enjoy the way Brian McGilloway portrays his characters and intertwine them with each other. I was engaged in the story of Little Girl Lost and the characters from the start. I was surprised with the conclusion of "Little Girl Lost".
The readers of Little Girl Lost will learn about law enforcement corruption. Also, the readers will learn about family violence and consequence it has on everyone involved. The Little Girl Lost also highlights mental illness in law enforcement officers.
I recommend this book.
February 24, 2014
I'm reading eBooks again so I apologize to my followers who don't read them. Sometimes the book looks too good to hold out for the paperback edition. That's the case here too.
I was caught up in the story immediately. It's set in northern Ireland, in and around Derry. A milk truck gets stuck in the snow and as the driver is looking over the situation, he sees a little girl in pajamas at the edge of the nearby woods. When he tries to approach her though, she runs back into the woods. He can't imagine why she would be there in the cold, so he calls for help. The police have been looking for a missing girl. Is it her? Lucy Black gets the call.
When they get the little girl to the hospital, she won't speak. She isn't the missing girl nor has anyone called to say this girl is lost. Meanwhile, her pj top has been sprayed with blood and luminol shows that her hands had been covered with it. She is unhurt, but every time she falls asleep she awakes screaming.
Meanwhile, Black has terrible problems at home with her father, a retired cop. She loves him and lives with him to care for him, but unfortunately he has Alzheimer's disease and has reached the point where she'll have to put him in a home. He wanders away from the house and he's becoming violent.
The story is a little hard to follow. There are so many characters involved in the two children's lives, and pieces of the puzzle go all the way back to The Troubles. As they search for one child and try to find the identity of the girl in pajamas, Black finds a third little girl in a house of horrors. This one cares for her baby brother while mom gets high on drugs with boyfriend. So many children in harm's way . . . Lucy Black is very emotional coping with it all.
It's a great story with well-drawn characters, sad but satisfactory in that you understand why everything is happening.
Highly recommended
Source: Witness/Impulse Imprint from HarperCollins
I was caught up in the story immediately. It's set in northern Ireland, in and around Derry. A milk truck gets stuck in the snow and as the driver is looking over the situation, he sees a little girl in pajamas at the edge of the nearby woods. When he tries to approach her though, she runs back into the woods. He can't imagine why she would be there in the cold, so he calls for help. The police have been looking for a missing girl. Is it her? Lucy Black gets the call.
When they get the little girl to the hospital, she won't speak. She isn't the missing girl nor has anyone called to say this girl is lost. Meanwhile, her pj top has been sprayed with blood and luminol shows that her hands had been covered with it. She is unhurt, but every time she falls asleep she awakes screaming.
Meanwhile, Black has terrible problems at home with her father, a retired cop. She loves him and lives with him to care for him, but unfortunately he has Alzheimer's disease and has reached the point where she'll have to put him in a home. He wanders away from the house and he's becoming violent.
The story is a little hard to follow. There are so many characters involved in the two children's lives, and pieces of the puzzle go all the way back to The Troubles. As they search for one child and try to find the identity of the girl in pajamas, Black finds a third little girl in a house of horrors. This one cares for her baby brother while mom gets high on drugs with boyfriend. So many children in harm's way . . . Lucy Black is very emotional coping with it all.
It's a great story with well-drawn characters, sad but satisfactory in that you understand why everything is happening.
Highly recommended
Source: Witness/Impulse Imprint from HarperCollins
March 23, 2013
At the start of "Little Girl Lost" a young child is found, wandering the snowy woods in her nightclothes, with no identification and an unwillingness to talk. DS Lucy Black is called out to the scene and so begins her story. Having returned home to care for her Father who is suffering from dementia, Lucy finds herself caught up in the case of the mysterious child, the kidnapping of a teenager, and a delve into the past of her own family. A multi layered tale, the clues are subtly included in the narrative, the author finds no need to resort to unbelievable coincidences to link one thing to another and therein lies the beauty of the story. There are a couple of things that I especially liked about this book - Firstly, the interaction between Lucy and her father, and the scene setting of what it can be like to deal with a relative who suffers from this problem - as a person who knows it first hand I can honestly say that this narrative is both extremely realistic, both with reference to the actions of Dad and the emotional responses it provokes in Lucy, and with the idea it gives of the extreme strain this can place on a relationship with a loved one. The other thing I loved was the layering of the story - a plot within a plot within a plot if you like, that kept me turning the pages long into the night. The background in reference to the "troubles" is well written and done in such a way so that you do not need to have any depth of knowledge of the history in order to follow the influences it has on the characters lives today. There is a twist in the tale and a heart wrenching moment, both of which make this just about perfect. I am hoping that we see this character again - and in the meantime I will be hunting down the "Inspector Devlin" books to have a look at. Excellent. Read this.
July 26, 2018
Lucy Black Thriller n. 1
Tre stelle e mezzo
Thriller discreto, scorrevole, coinvolgente; i colpi di scena non mancano.
Ho molto apprezzato che sullo sfondo della storia, ci sia la questione nord-irlandese.
Spero saranno pubblicate altre storie di questa serie.
Tre stelle e mezzo
Thriller discreto, scorrevole, coinvolgente; i colpi di scena non mancano.
Ho molto apprezzato che sullo sfondo della storia, ci sia la questione nord-irlandese.
Spero saranno pubblicate altre storie di questa serie.
April 4, 2017
This was an excellent first novel in this series. A British police procedural, my favourite kind of tale. Lucy Black seems to be in the right place at the right time and everyone tells her exactly what she need to know. But somehow it all seems so plausible. Her mother is a cow, her father is slowly losing her mind and Lucy keeps getting involved with all the children in her current cases. Looking forward to more in this series.
March 12, 2019
La verdad es que me encantó es un thriller policial muy bueno no es nada pesada la lectura la verdad que se lee fácilmente y rápidamente a sido una buena lectura para despejarme un poco de Harry Potter y ahora poder continuar con más ganas
June 6, 2011
As I'm sure I'm about to learn with my month of reading Scandinavian crime, there is something dreadfully yet delightfully chilling about a winter crime. It's below freezing outside, there are tracks in the snow... it's eerie and sets the perfect tone for a thrilling story. Little Girl Lost is set in an Irish winter and manages to blend perfectly into the wild mix of chilly thrillers abundant in the marketplace. I've never read a McGilloway before, but I enjoyed this one so much I had best add some more to my ever-increasing list of books to read.
The jacket of my copy calls it a stand-alone, but I would love to see more of Detective Sergeant Lucy Black. Lucy hasn't had the easiest life; her mother, the Assistant Chief Constable, was more married to her job than her family, and her father is fighting a losing battle with Alzheimer's. Lucy has struggled to make a name for herself without living in her mother's shadow, and her personal life has suffered as a result. Her life changes unexpectedly when a young girl is found wandering through the woods in the middle of a snowy, cold night. The authorities have reason to think it may be missing girl Kate McLaughlin, but upon finding the child they soon realise the girl is too young to be Kate. Upsetting as this may be, what disturbs Lucy more is that no one claims little "Alice", and the girl is too traumatised by her ordeal to speak.
As the investigation progresses, it becomes apparent that the missing girl cases are linked: Alice has been in contact with Kate, and was found with blood on her that was not her own. When someone recognises Alice, Lucy is able to start piecing the case together. But when her personal connections start to appear in the history surrounding the McLaughlin family, Lucy is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her family. In what truly is a race against time to save Kate, Lucy and her family have to look back over their past one more painful time to get to the bottom of a decades-old mystery that threatens to tear everything apart.
As adults, we sometimes learn things about our parents that we wish we didn't know. As Lucy comes to terms with bits of her father's past, she is also exposed first-hand to how children in abusive and neglectful families are raised. McGilloway's treatment of fragile family bonds is outstanding - there are so many emotions running throughout the novel, and they are masterfully woven together to create a powerful and poignant novel about how our past defines are future, and the lengths some people will go to to ensure the past stays buried. Overall, a complex thriller that keeps you guessing right to the last page... and a perfect prelude to my upcoming Scandinavian month!
May 18, 2023
An enjoyable if not particularly ambitious detective novel that works its way somewhere between a procedural and a more character-driven affair. When a young girl is found cowering in the snow in the wood wearing only her pajamas, DS Lucy Black thinks she might be the missing daughter of a local businessman. She isn't, but as the knotty plot untangles, there is indeed a connection between this found girl and the one who is still missing.
Set in and around Derry, McGilloway weaves themes of contemporary Northern Ireland and the recent past of the Troubles through the story. Sometimes there is a bit too much didactic explanation and context giving for the reader not familiar with the politics, but overall his work is deft enough in this regard. That said, it would be nice to have more of a sense of Derry itself through greater description of the city. The city is explained well enough in terms of its political divide - although again it can be a bit didactic and not woven fully into the prose - but more detailed portrait of the city would have been interesting.
Lucy Black is a good character, although we could certainly do with a bit more depth to her. There are a number of clunky situations set up for her, particularly her relationship with her frosty mother and her ill father. She thinks very highly of her father and has moved back to Derry to look after him as he suffers from Alzheimer's. However, he may have some secrets of his own that emerge as the story progresses. Meanwhile her mother's uncaring attitude may have some warmth in it yet. All of this is a bit too familiar in these kinds of detective novels. An example of where McGilloway could perhaps push his creation a bit further.
Overall, I very much enjoyed Little Girl Lost and will return to McGilloway. He is a very good writer and is writing about a place I know and have a great interest in. I look forward to the subsequent Lucy Black novels and hope she develops more as a character in these. What holds this novel back for me is there not being quite enough ambition. It all just feels a bit too familiar and even predictable at times. We certainly don't get the depth of character that we would find in Ian Rankin or Tana French. That said, I do sense McGilloway is a good enough writer to have pushed much closer to that with a bit more ambition for this story.
Set in and around Derry, McGilloway weaves themes of contemporary Northern Ireland and the recent past of the Troubles through the story. Sometimes there is a bit too much didactic explanation and context giving for the reader not familiar with the politics, but overall his work is deft enough in this regard. That said, it would be nice to have more of a sense of Derry itself through greater description of the city. The city is explained well enough in terms of its political divide - although again it can be a bit didactic and not woven fully into the prose - but more detailed portrait of the city would have been interesting.
Lucy Black is a good character, although we could certainly do with a bit more depth to her. There are a number of clunky situations set up for her, particularly her relationship with her frosty mother and her ill father. She thinks very highly of her father and has moved back to Derry to look after him as he suffers from Alzheimer's. However, he may have some secrets of his own that emerge as the story progresses. Meanwhile her mother's uncaring attitude may have some warmth in it yet. All of this is a bit too familiar in these kinds of detective novels. An example of where McGilloway could perhaps push his creation a bit further.
Overall, I very much enjoyed Little Girl Lost and will return to McGilloway. He is a very good writer and is writing about a place I know and have a great interest in. I look forward to the subsequent Lucy Black novels and hope she develops more as a character in these. What holds this novel back for me is there not being quite enough ambition. It all just feels a bit too familiar and even predictable at times. We certainly don't get the depth of character that we would find in Ian Rankin or Tana French. That said, I do sense McGilloway is a good enough writer to have pushed much closer to that with a bit more ambition for this story.
August 30, 2016
As it was set in Ireland, I was unfamiliar with a lot of the names, places, and terms used (like wains, bap, slapper, Provos), but that really didn't bother me as I know how to use google. Authors write what they know, and it only enriches my knowledge to learn new things.
However, the main character, Lucy, was a complete disappointment. Fairly flat and shallow, for a detective and CID wannabe she (and likely the author) had only the most rudimentary knowledge of police procedure and zero questioning/interrogation skills. I know more of procedure just from watching CSI and Law & Order than was displayed in this book.
Lucy's father suffers from dementia so severely that I found it difficult to believe that he was ever left alone - he shouldn't have been. And when he throws a childish temper tantrum & slaps Lucy, she's all "you're not my father! I don't know who you are!" - thus displaying that once again she (and likely the author) has no idea what it's like to care for an Alzheimer's patient.
Lucy is also needlessly antagonistic and sullen at times when she'd have been better served by appearing polite, or at least neutral. She was a little immature at those times. And what's up with everyone winkie-smiling all the time? Weird.
I hope that if Brian McGilloway decides to write more "Lucy Black Thrillers", he would be wise enough to actually do some in-depth research on the subjects about which he intends to write.
I wouldn't recommend this book (or this author) at this time.
On the other hand, it's well-written enough that if you got it for free or .99, it's a way to kill a few hours if you have nothing else to read. It's a shame, because it could've really been something so much better and richer and engaging.
However, the main character, Lucy, was a complete disappointment. Fairly flat and shallow, for a detective and CID wannabe she (and likely the author) had only the most rudimentary knowledge of police procedure and zero questioning/interrogation skills. I know more of procedure just from watching CSI and Law & Order than was displayed in this book.
Lucy's father suffers from dementia so severely that I found it difficult to believe that he was ever left alone - he shouldn't have been. And when he throws a childish temper tantrum & slaps Lucy, she's all "you're not my father! I don't know who you are!" - thus displaying that once again she (and likely the author) has no idea what it's like to care for an Alzheimer's patient.
Lucy is also needlessly antagonistic and sullen at times when she'd have been better served by appearing polite, or at least neutral. She was a little immature at those times. And what's up with everyone winkie-smiling all the time? Weird.
I hope that if Brian McGilloway decides to write more "Lucy Black Thrillers", he would be wise enough to actually do some in-depth research on the subjects about which he intends to write.
I wouldn't recommend this book (or this author) at this time.
On the other hand, it's well-written enough that if you got it for free or .99, it's a way to kill a few hours if you have nothing else to read. It's a shame, because it could've really been something so much better and richer and engaging.
July 1, 2012
DS Lucy Black has returned to her hometown of Derry to take care of her father, a former policeman, who has Alzheimers. After transferring into CID, she is called out in the middle of the night - and a snowstorm - to investigate the potential sighting of a missing girl (Kate, the daughter of a wealthy local businessman). She doesn't find Kate but she does find Alice - half frozen and unable, or unwilling, to speak. When no one reports her missing, Lucy is given the job of finding out who Alice is and why she is so scared. Her investigation brings her full circle, back to Kate, and a former case of her fathers.
Little Girl Lost is a good crime novel. It is well written and fast-paced. I enjoyed reading it and would possibly read other Brian McGilloway novels. I liked the setting for story and found I learnt a little more about the Troubles (which are part of the back story). My only complaint would be - and this could be said of a lot of crime writing, it is somewhat formulaic. For example, Lucy doesn't obey orders, struggles with her work life balance and doesn't have personal relationships...all characteristics of a lot of other detectives in a lot of other novels. Still, worth a read - perfect for a holiday.
Little Girl Lost is a good crime novel. It is well written and fast-paced. I enjoyed reading it and would possibly read other Brian McGilloway novels. I liked the setting for story and found I learnt a little more about the Troubles (which are part of the back story). My only complaint would be - and this could be said of a lot of crime writing, it is somewhat formulaic. For example, Lucy doesn't obey orders, struggles with her work life balance and doesn't have personal relationships...all characteristics of a lot of other detectives in a lot of other novels. Still, worth a read - perfect for a holiday.
December 16, 2015
This is a superb book. Once I realised it refers to the Troubles in Northern Ireland I was a little leery as it's not the sort of stuff I usually read but it isn't ALL set around that time at all so that was good.
The best thing about this book for me and what made it an absolute pleasure to read was that there are no mistakes and no formatting or grammatical errors so it CAN be done. Take note, e-book publishers !!
I really liked the character of Lucy, a young policewoman who is the star of the tale. You really warm to her and how she approaches her job.
The only little bit I found a tad repetitive was that poor Lucy spends a lot of the book in the hospital, whether for herself or visiting others !! Part of the ending had me sobbing as I hadn't expected it and it wasn't what I wanted to happen.
I see the author used his daughter's name as his lead Lucy so she should be proud he used it so well !
It would be nice to read more about this character so I hope he writes more.
The best thing about this book for me and what made it an absolute pleasure to read was that there are no mistakes and no formatting or grammatical errors so it CAN be done. Take note, e-book publishers !!
I really liked the character of Lucy, a young policewoman who is the star of the tale. You really warm to her and how she approaches her job.
The only little bit I found a tad repetitive was that poor Lucy spends a lot of the book in the hospital, whether for herself or visiting others !! Part of the ending had me sobbing as I hadn't expected it and it wasn't what I wanted to happen.
I see the author used his daughter's name as his lead Lucy so she should be proud he used it so well !
It would be nice to read more about this character so I hope he writes more.
May 5, 2014
A good story about a female detective who is caring for a father with dementia, unraveling her complicated history as the daughter of two, now divorced and estranged law enforcement officers and working on a kidnapping case. Woven through this, are the stories of three young girls, the kidnapped teenages, a small girl who attempted to help help and now will not speak and a neglected girl who cares for her infant brother while her mother pleases her boy friend. Lucy, our heroine, tries to help all 3 against impossible odds. The story is meticulously written and intricate although slow at times. The story of one of the girls is so heartbreaking that I am still thinking about her. Once you start your will want to read till the unexpected ending.
April 1, 2013
Excitement, powerful and gripping will describe this book! At only 300 pages its a great book to get shot into and really enjoy. Well I could not put it down! It was brilliant! I wish it was longer!
The way the author writes this book is great, it's enjoyable and such a page turner. You just wanted to know more and more! When it came to the end I was not dissatisfied, it's every thing a crime book should be. It also gives you historic problems of Ireland which allows this to grip you.
The way the author writes this book is great, it's enjoyable and such a page turner. You just wanted to know more and more! When it came to the end I was not dissatisfied, it's every thing a crime book should be. It also gives you historic problems of Ireland which allows this to grip you.
February 21, 2016
I started reading this book via Barnes and Noble Readout serialization where they would add 2 chapters a day (they had already added 25 chapters when I found out about it). I liked the story so much that I didn't want to wait for the next chapters to be added, so I ended up buying the ebook. I'm looking forward to reading the second and third book in the series and also the short story (The Sacrifice) that is included in the excerpt of the second book, Hurt.
April 13, 2016
Little Girl Lost is the first book I have read by Brian McGilloway. This is my type of book. Excellent character development. Lots of surprises. I will definitely read more of this series. 4 stars
June 24, 2014
Kept me guessing right up to the end, a police procedural set in Derry. Starts off fairly quickly and never seems to run out of steam, though I'm surprised Black made it to the end of the book.
September 7, 2014
I liked it. fast paced. enough mystery to keep me going.
June 2, 2015
I had to stop reading around 3/4 of the way through. I found the narrative dull. I had no desire to find out what had happened to the missing girl. So very boring :(
September 12, 2019
Mientras la policía busca a una adolescente que ha sido secuestrada , aparece, en medio de un bosque y durante una fuerte tormenta de nieve, una niña en estado de shock y con manchas de sangre en su cuerpo y en su ropa.
Así se inicia este interesante thriller, pleno de acción, ambientado en una pequeña ciudad fronteriza de Irlanda del Norte.
La protagonista es Lucy Black, una joven detective, impulsiva, inexperta, y propensa a sensibilizarse ante los problemas sociales y, especialmente ante las víctimas, que, sin embargo logra resolver un caso dificil , plagado de hechos de sangre, en el que además entran en juego antiguos crímenes, las heridas no cerradas de los conflictos que dividieron a la sociedad irlandesa,y la compleja relación que mantiene la joven detective con sus padres: él un antiguo policía retirado que padece demencia senil y élla, la jefa de policía.
Con una buena caracterización de los personajes, y del trasfondo social, - no exento de dramatismo -, y una narración ágil y llevadera, La niña del bosque, constituye una muy buena y entretenida opción de lectura.
https://sobrevolandolecturas.blogspot...
Así se inicia este interesante thriller, pleno de acción, ambientado en una pequeña ciudad fronteriza de Irlanda del Norte.
La protagonista es Lucy Black, una joven detective, impulsiva, inexperta, y propensa a sensibilizarse ante los problemas sociales y, especialmente ante las víctimas, que, sin embargo logra resolver un caso dificil , plagado de hechos de sangre, en el que además entran en juego antiguos crímenes, las heridas no cerradas de los conflictos que dividieron a la sociedad irlandesa,y la compleja relación que mantiene la joven detective con sus padres: él un antiguo policía retirado que padece demencia senil y élla, la jefa de policía.
Con una buena caracterización de los personajes, y del trasfondo social, - no exento de dramatismo -, y una narración ágil y llevadera, La niña del bosque, constituye una muy buena y entretenida opción de lectura.
https://sobrevolandolecturas.blogspot...
July 16, 2017
This is the first book I have ready by this author and it took me a little while to get use to the writing style as some of the words were different from what I'm use to but once I did, I wasn't disappointed.
This book is not the usual kind of book I have been reading lately. While I have always liked Crime/Mystery novels, for a while now I've been sort of on a paranormal/romance kick, so it did take me a while to get back into it.
There is a lot more description in this book than I'm use to and that did make it seem SLIGHTLY slower in some places, but all in all I did find it a very enjoyable book.
I will say that the ending is NOT what you expect. It's one of those HOLY CRAP moments that you just didn't see coming. Usually, I'm really good with figuring stuff like this out, but I did not see this. At all. It was definitely a surprise. Which also made the ending really good.
This book is not the usual kind of book I have been reading lately. While I have always liked Crime/Mystery novels, for a while now I've been sort of on a paranormal/romance kick, so it did take me a while to get back into it.
There is a lot more description in this book than I'm use to and that did make it seem SLIGHTLY slower in some places, but all in all I did find it a very enjoyable book.
I will say that the ending is NOT what you expect. It's one of those HOLY CRAP moments that you just didn't see coming. Usually, I'm really good with figuring stuff like this out, but I did not see this. At all. It was definitely a surprise. Which also made the ending really good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 673 reviews