The Lost

Stone & Oliver #1

by Mari Hannah

'Nobody understands the many faces of cops better than Mari Hannah.' Val McDermid'Mari Hannah writes with a sharp eye and a dark heart.' Peter James'Thrilling, exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat.' Angela Marsons*****************'He was her child. The only one she'd ever have. It would kill her to learn that he was missing.'Alex arrives home from holiday to find that her ten-year-old son Daniel has disappeared.It's the first case together for Northumbria CID officers David Stone and Frankie Oliver. Stone has returned to his roots with fifteen years' experience in the Met, whereas Oliver is local, a third generation copper with a lot to prove, and a secret that's holding her back.But as the investigation unfolds, they realise the family's betrayal goes deeper than anyone suspected. This isn't just a missing persons case. Stone and Oliver are hunting a killer. An unbelievably gripping game of cat and mouse from an award-winning, expert author. Fans of Ragdoll by Daniel Cole, The Blood Road By Stuart Macbride, A Daedly Distance by LT Ryan, Stormbound by AP Bateman and The Confession by Jo Spain will love The Lost.*****************Why readers love award-winning expert author, Mari 'A blistering start to Hannah's new detective series, The Lost pitches her fearless coppers into a case which will explode one family's seemingly perfect life. Mari Hannah is a consummate storyteller and her booksgenuine must reads for any serious crime fan.' Eva Dolan'Mari Hannah writes with compassion, humour and a firm grasp of character and plot. Her Kate Daniels series has already won her many fans, and this new series, featuring DS Frankie Oliver and DI David Stone, should win her many more. The Lost is a truly absorbing novel, full of twists and turns, all illuminated by Hannah's suspenseful and thrilling writing.' Peter Robinson'A complex and unsettling story, which keeps you gripped until the end.' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. The plotting is superb with plenty of unexpected and audacious twists and turns which drew me in and didn't let go. I'm already looking forward to the sequel.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

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

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2018

About the author

When an injury on duty ended my career as Probation Officer, I began writing. I am the author of the Kate Daniels and Ryan & O’Neil series published by Pan Macmillan and the Stone & Oliver series published by Orion. My debut, The Murder Wall, was written as a TV pilot for a BBC Drama Development Scheme - before the adaption. The novel won the Polari First Book Prize. Before becoming an author, I fell in love with scriptwriting and submitted speculative original dramas to the BBC Writersroom. I've also written a romantic comedy feature film that I hope will find a producer one day. In 2010, I won the Northern Writers' Award for my second novel, Settled Blood. And in 2017, I won the Dagger in the Library for my body of work. I'm represented by AM Heath literary agent, Oli Munson, and live in Northumberland with my partner, a former murder detective.

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 4 out of 5]

The start of a brand new series coupled with a well known DI. Great partnership.

Yes this is about a missing child......it’s unlike any other as there are dark, yes, very dark twisted things happening.

Mum goes off on holiday for the first time since she’s had her son. He’s now ten years old. Encouraged by her husband to take a holiday break and have some down time.

When she arrives back from holiday her son is nowhere to be seen.

He’s now a Missing Person.

Lots of darkness, lots of puzzling things and twists that will tie you up in knots.

It could be anyone.

Because the story is so well written it reads in no time at all.

Great start to a series (although book 2 is out.......I’m late)

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in the Stone and Oliver series.

Alex returns home from a holiday with her sister Kat in Majorca, she reluctantly left her son Daniel with his stepdad Tim. She is met by the police at the airport to be informed that her son has gone missing.

Have to stop and say this is not just another missing child story, as this is just the beginning of a darker tale with tragic consequences.

D.S Frankie Oliver is teamed up with D.I David Stone, straightaway you know this is going to be a great partnership. They are both hiding secrets from their pasts which makes it more intriguing. Looking forward to finding out what happened to them and I know they will support each other. It will be interesting to watch this paring develop.

I was hooked right from the start, everybody seems to be hiding something and you don’t know who to trust. There are plenty of twists to keep you gripped. I couldn’t put this book down and ended up saying just one more chapter, and read late into the night!!

Highly recommend this series. This is my first Mari Hannah book but I will look up her other series ASAP!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was ignored on my current reads for some 3 weeks. “Discarded on my bedside table.”
After 37% all I’d read was a extended family drama where the characters clearly knew more than they were willing to share. It is setting story and plot for the action to follow in the last two thirds but I hope other readers will sustain their interest better than I did initially. In the process we were introduced to the extended family, nanny and wider business partners. None filled me with any enthusiasm to read more about them as the whole episode seemed a waste of police time.
However, the Police officers were interesting; Oliver a third generation copper and Stone her boss recently returned home to Northumberland and his roots in the NE, but losing a rank, so ‘under a cloud’.
Their issues seem an interruption when a lad is missing but add to the general mystery which although left me wanting to read on did not excite me greatly.
When I picked up the book after my hiatus I was rewarded with the intrigue of a rather nasty murder. Now all the preparation could unravel with each character who to a person had something they were not being completely honest about. Having finished the book I realise not one line or sentence was wasted as the rest of the novel grew out of this pedestrian start.
I think that was brave and perhaps shows the emerging confidence of this talented author. I love Mari’s writing and joining a series at book one a good deal of background character building is necessary so I was always going to finish the book. I hope others will crack on too as the overall piece is a wonderful police procedural set in a beautiful part of the country.
In Stone and Oliver we have a fresh couple of detectives who have a brilliant relationship which is tested to its maximum here. A reader will want to share their journey into the areas MIT Murder Investigation Team. Stone as the senior investigator SIO and Oliver as his loyal, faithful and determined DS. Happily book 2 is due out, I for one can’t wait for it - The Insider is published on 1st November 2018.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Parker returns home from holidays with her sister Kat to discover that her son Daniel is missing. Recently arrived home after 15 years with the Met David Stome and partner Frankie Oliver are called to investigate. The more the pair delve into the lives of this family the more secrets and lies they find.

This is the first in a few series featuring Stone and Oliver. I look forward to reading more f rom these 2, a great team who seek the truth. Thanks to Orion Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Mari Hannah so was very excited to get to read the first novel in her new series and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed it.

Nobody writes police drama quite like this author and she just confirms that here with the start to her new series – character driven and multi-layered with a cleverly intriguing mystery at the heart of it, The Lost is an almost perfect lead in to what is sure to become a popular duo in crime world – Stone and Oliver.

It is a brilliant mix in plotting of character building and mystery elements – plenty of twists and turns, some heart stopping moments and an unpredictable sense to the outcome – making it an addictive and immersive read that just makes you want to read more immediately.

I loved how we saw what was going on external to the police investigation – and as for that I fell immediately for both our main protagonists who have plenty of compelling background that engages but without being cliched – all done with that little flair that I’ve come to know from Mari Hannah.

Overall an excellent read. Bring on more Stone and Oliver I say – as soon as possible.

Recommended.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

And now to the first instalment of another new series from the wonderfully prolific Mari Hannah, introducing the crime detecting duo of seasoned copper David Stone, and keen as mustard sidekick Frankie Oliver. Hannah’s trademark is the sheer believability of her characters, and how quickly she envelops her reader’s interest in the world they inhabit, and she does this with her usual flair and empathy. I loved both characters, and although there is the necessary concealment of certain darker aspects of their lives that needs to be gradually teased out, unlike other pure police procedurals this never felt hackneyed or trite in its deliverance. They are both genuinely likeable, dedicated, refreshingly human protagonists, and the way they interact with and challenge each other throughout this investigation, leads to some brilliantly realised moments of confrontation, and the growth of a greater understanding of, and empathy with each other. The plot itself is probably the closest I’ve come to reading my bete noir of domestic drama, with a family on the brink of destruction leading to some very uncomfortable revelations for all, not to mention murder. As always Hannah’s timing and pace in The Lost is assured and compelling, and there’s some nice dramatic reveals, and emotive scenes, adding to the overall feel of an authentic, and hugely engaging police procedural. I also appreciated the title of the book itself, and how closely it represents and reflects most of the characters within the story. Once again, highly recommended

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Alex arrives home from a short holiday with her sister Kat, it is to the news that her ten year old son is missing. He had been in the care of his stepfather, Tim. The newly formed pairing of David Stone and Frankie Oliver from Northumbria CID start to investigate. Stone has had fifteen years’ experience in the Met before returning to his roots. Frankie is following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather. She has a lot to live up to and a lot to prove. She also has a secret. As David and Frankie investigate, suspicion falls on Tim. But soon the case it no longer that of a missing child but that of a web of lies and of murder. And that murderer may just try to kill again.
The main characters are interesting and the plot kept my interest, although I did have one quibble with Daniel and the plot which I won’t reveal as it gives away too much about the story. The pacing of the story is well done, even though I did pinpoint the murderer fairly early on but I’m used to doing that so it didn’t matter. There was enough happening that I was happy to keep reading to see how it played out and if I was right. There is a fair amount of the f word which, sadly, seems to be a given in many books these days.
Even though she has written a number of other books with different main characters, the author was new to me. This is the first in a new series with these two police officers and I’d be keen enough to read another as the characters were interesting enough to command attention and details will, no doubt be developed in later books. Those who like police procedurals and character based stories with a good setting should enjoy this one. I’d recommend it as a good involving read.

[Beth Wills · Rating 1 out of 5]

Argh no. Just couldn't do it. One thing I really hate in books is when the author finds it necessary to tell us every stray thought the characters have. This book has entire CHAPTERS that are nothing but brain dumps and do absolutely nothing to either advance the plot or develop the characters. Every character in this book seems to have a secret too - but they don't share those with us, oh no. They're too busy wondering about the other characters' love lives or something else useless to tell us something that might possibly have a bearing on the case.

[G.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A proper Geordie detective series, I enjoyed this one and liked both detectives, Stone and Oliver. The plot was good and kept me guessing til the end.

[Ceecee · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I really liked the two main characters of DI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver. Stone emanates from the North East, worked for a while for the Met and returns to his Geordie roots. He’s a Toon supporter (so clearly a good guy (!)) ,he’s thoughtful, intelligent and caring though can show a different side when frustrated or cross. He has something in his past that he may be running away from but time will tell on that one. He has a difficult relationship with his nephew which worsens when his brother is tragically killed in an RTA. Frankie is unafraid, ballsy, forthright and a dedicated, hard working officer. She comes from a family of police officers which is important to her. These two are very interesting and I like the way they interact and are often yin to the others yang.

Secondly, I liked the setting as I know the North East fairly well via the Geordie husband (the Toon supporter) and I recognised quite a lot of the places mentioned which I enjoyed. Northumberland is a beautiful area and always makes for a good story location.

I thought the book started quite well but some sections were overlong and parts became a bit tedious. For example, some of the police interviews I felt were overplayed and I found my attention wandering. I thought the plot was a bit ploddy and it never really gripped me though I know other readers enjoyed it so it might just be me!

I will read more as and when they are published because the characters intrigue me and I liked the optimistic end.

[Tripfiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime thriller set in NORTHUMBERLAND (lost... and found... with secrets...)



I am a big fan of Mari Hannah and have read all of her books. So, I eagerly awaited The Lost and wondered whether Mari could pull it off again with another two new characters, Stone and Oliver.

I think she does. Once again we are transported to beautiful Northumberland where the reader is introduced to Frankie Oliver, the daughter and granddaughter of well respected and now retired police officers; and to Detective Inspector David Stone, recently returned from the London Met. They are a new partnership and are feeling their way with each other.

A ten year old boy has gone missing, not usually a job for CID, but DS Frankie Oliver has an inbuilt intuition and feels that all is not as it first seems. This signals the start of building her relationship with Stone. She persuades him to take a look at the case.

Here begins a complex story with inter-related connections and complex relationships. The boy returns home the next day, safe and sound. There are many questions. Who is telling the truth about who sent which message? The alibi witness stories do not match up. What is the marriage like between the boys parents Alex and Tim? Where does Kat the sister come in? Is the personality and lifestyle of the nanny, Justine, as it first seems?

I was gripped by this book and if you read it I suggest you free up a day, you will not want to put it down. Who is lost? Not just the boy. There are secrets that are eventually revealed.

I really like the new characters, Stone and Oliver, they are a good foil for each other. One methodical and careful, the other intuitive who follows her nose and who is not always liked by the ‘bosses’

I know Northumberland quite well, as does Mari Hannah who lives in the county. She uses the rural locations of lonely forest lanes and small hamlets to good effect in this fast paced crime fiction.

I enjoy reading books about the place where I live, it really brings a story alive for me. I don’t have to imagine the places, I know them, I drive through the villages, I go to the restaurants. Despite this I always find out something new and have a great deal of sense of place. But, if you are not familiar with Northumberland, Mari Hannah superbly describes the places, both rural and urban to add character to her fiction. However, the places are real.

When you start to read this novel, who is lost seems quite apparent, but there are several lost characters for me; running from something, trying to forget something and personal secrets.

I’m looking forward to Stone & Oliver 2.

[Maura Heaphy Dutton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, I hated this. I say sadly, because it has some good qualities (and hence the 2 stars)-- Hannah clearly knows police procedure. The mystery was intriguing (but ultimately, disappointing). The sense of place, local color, and appreciation of Northumberland, a wonderful area of the UK, was great. BUT -- I think my husband nailed it when he said that all the faults in the novel can be described as (misguided) attempts to create tension.

Characters don't tell each other things -- things that are innocent, boring and pretty obvious, and even worse, things that would be super-easy to find out. Err, detectives? Or there's google? But no, these super-secret things are treated -- ad nauseum -- as the deepest of dark secrets, generating long, angst-ridden conversations, with no resolution, but lots of misunderstanding and failed attempts at mind-reading.

Cliffhangers are used like blunt instruments ... If I had a nickel for every time there's a line like She would never recover from it ... He would regret his decision very soon ... She was about to find out ... I would have a lot of nickels. And like the boy who cries wolf, lines like that lose their impact if they are overused.

I have LOTS of other problems with Hannah's technique. (Clunky dialogue. Poor use of POV -- for an excellent example of how to see things from the murderer's point of view, being both truthful, and yet disguising what's really going on, see A. Christie, A Mysterious Affair at Styles)

I ploughed on to the bitter end because I was intrigued by the mystery, but the solution felt like it was arrived at by a throw of the dice, not really supported by character development, or even the facts.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion for an advance copy of The Lost, the first book in a new series featuring Northumbrian detectives DI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver.

David Stone has recently returned to the North East after 15 years with the Met. He has struck up a good working relationship with DS Frankie Oliver, a third generation local officer but is unsure when she urges him to take the disappearance of 10 year old Daniel Scott seriously, after all he has only been missing for a few hours and there is little evidence of foul play. What follows takes a much darker turn than a simple missing child case.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost which is a very absorbing police procedural that kept me up way too late in full "just another chapter" mode. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. The plotting is superb with plenty of unexpected and audacious twists and turns which drew me in and didn't let go. It might push the boundaries of credibility by the end but the readability will easily allow you to overlook it. I'm already looking forward to the sequel although I'm not sure Ms Hannah can top The Lost.

I like the characterisation. David and Frankie are very likeable people, both dedicated and smart but the spark in their relationship comes from their differences. David is the steady, measured one while Frankie is more impulsive and fiery. They both have tragedies in their lives which are hinted at in this novel but will be gradually be revealed over the course of the series I imagine. It adds a certain anticipation to the series.

The Lost is a great start to a new series which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Nick Davies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhere between a two and a three star read, though this had an interesting plot and was generally perfectly readable, it for me failed to satisfy. The move follows police detective partners Frances ‘Frankie’ Oliver and David Stone as they investigate the disappearance of a ten year-old boy and the subsequent fall-out. These two main characters did appeal and did hold my interest, though many of the supporting characters did feel a little stereotypical at times.

My main issue was the writing style. There was far far too much of the book taken up with detailed accounts of the inner thoughts of the characters. There is a balance to be struck between maintaining pace and remaining realistic, and including enough introspection to allow the reader to understand the thoughts and motivations of those involved in the story. In my opinion this novel went too far in the latter direction - the first half of the book was bogged down in rather tedious paragraphs of ‘I wonder what he/she thinks of me’ and ‘I remember long ago when this happened...’ which hugely slowed the story and made it seem like seconds in real time was taking several minutes in reading time. This jarred, as did several moments in the text which aimed to add verisimilitude but which contained factual inaccuracies.

[Julie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great start to a new series and the relationship between Stone and Oliver is one to watch.
Stone left London and moved up North and despite hints about what happened we don’t find out why. Frankie is desperate to know but respects Stone’s wishes not to discuss it. But I wanted to know and will now have to wait for at least the next book to find out!
This book starts off with a young boy going missing and the father calls into the station desperate for help.
The family are all under suspicion but the father comes off worse as it seems he’s been lying.
The disappearance is soon followed by a murder and Stone and Oliver are convinced it’s linked to the family of the boy.
There’s lots of suspicion and this book will keep you guessing right until the end.
This is a gripping story and one which will have you on the edge of your seat during the final chapters.
I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thanks to Orion and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit different to previous Mari Hannah books - slightly less police driven and more character based - but what an exciting series this is going to be! First book published with Orion too so a change in many ways.

Very Mari and very much set in the North East with all the charm and Geordie warmth you've come to expect. A case of a missing child which starts as one thing but soon escalates in something else entirely! The twists and turns were neatly done and the insight into characters minds and motivations of the very high Mari standard.

Full review to follow but another exciting serious to look forward to crime fans!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Mari’s now for quite a while and I eagerly devour each and every book that she releases. I love her series featuring DI Kate Daniels and her other series featuring Matthew Ryan. So imagine my excitement and delight when I heard that she had written the first book in another new series. The excited dance wasn’t pretty. Anyway back to the review I do go. The first book in the new series featuring DI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver is called ‘The Lost’ and it was due for release on Thursday 22nd March 2018. I flipping well loved reading ‘The Lost’ but more about that in a bit.
I took to DI Stone and DS Oliver from the start. Both are dedicated police officers. Stone transferred to the Metropolitan Police where he stayed for 15 years. I got the impression that he was homesick and he longed to go home. I totally understood where he was coming from there because for a while I lived away from ‘home’ and in the end I simply had to move back because I was missing home so much. It was the best decision I made and I think that it was the right decision for DI Stone too. He loves being back in the area and working for Northumbria Police. DI Stone is very much a typical man from the North East in that he hides his feelings, he finds it difficult to talk about some elements of his past and he keeps certain things hidden. I really felt for Stone as he has certainly suffered in the past and those events still affect him to this day. DS Oliver is another character that I immediately took to. She is one feisty, determined and strong woman. I got the impression that DS Oliver felt that she has something to prove and somebody else’s legend to live up to as she is the third generation of police officers in her family as her father and grandfather were in the force too. Oliver doesn’t seem to let the pressure get to her though. Oliver does seem to be hiding a secret from her past. She and Stone work well together as a team, although Oliver’s mouth can sometimes get her into trouble. Their different skill sets compliment each other. DS Oliver also has the ability to convince her partner DI Stone to investigate matters when perhaps he wouldn’t if he was on his own. This is certainly the case when 10 year old Daniel goes missing as Stone is reluctant to become involved and Oliver convinces him otherwise. This is one of those cases that seems relatively straightforward but proves to be anything but. Who has taken Daniel? What is the connection with a fatal RTC (road traffic collision)? What is the truth? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
In my opinion ‘The Lost’ is brilliantly written. The quality of the writing and the story just blew me away. The writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn into the story and before you know what is happening you are addicted to the book and the investigation. When I started reading I got the distinct impression that all was not as it should be and I was curious to find out if I was going to be proven right or not. ‘The Lost’ kept me guessing all the way through and I so didn’t see the twist coming at the end. I thought that I had figured out who was the guilty party only to be sent down another road entirely. The story in ‘The Lost’ hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. I binge read ‘The Lost’ over the course of a couple of days, which really worked in this case because it gave me a sense of how intense a police investigation could be and how the pressures of time affected the investigation team. I simply had to read on and on and on because I needed to see how the investigation concluded and who the guilty party was. I absolutely loved the fact that the book is set in the North East of England, which is where I am from and live to this day. I certainly recognised some of the place names.
My favourite genre of book at the moment is the police procedural. I seem to be obsessed with reading anything to do with the police and watching police programmes such as ‘Police Interceptors’ (featuring Durham Constabulary and Cleveland’s finest officers), ‘The Force North East’ (featuring Northumbria Police), ‘Traffic Cops’ (featuring North Yorkshire police) and that’s without mentioning all the police programmes from the USA that I am absolutely addicted to. Well now I have a new obsession and that is reading all about DI Stone and DS Oliver. I literally can’t wait for a new book in the series to be released. Here’s hoping that there isn’t going to be too long a wait. In fact I have just found out that the next book in the series featuring DI Stone and DS Oliver is called ‘The Insider’ and it is due for release on 1st November 2018. Hurry up November.
In short, I absolutely loved reading ‘The Lost’ and I can’t wait to read ‘The Insider’. Mari Hannah is one of those authors that you just can’t afford to miss. When you pick up a book written by Mari Hannah, you are guaranteed one heck of a rollercoaster read. Mari Hannah is right up there on my list of all time and must read authors. I would wholeheartedly recommend this author, this book and her other series’ to anybody and everybody. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*. I would have awarded it more stars if I could have because I really did enjoy ‘The Lost’ that much.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* for me, I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading the next in the series !

[Curlyhair · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new detective series by Mari Hannah and a decent start. I enjoyed the story, plenty going on and a couple of things happened I didn’t see coming. I liked the characters and the setting, especially as this is ‘my part of the world’.

[Sarah Dunsbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my this is a good read ,no a great one if you enjoy thrillers,detective novels etc...
Many thanks to the publisher's for an advance copy from the divine system of Goodreads giveaways...
To tell the truth when I got this volume I was just not in the mood for murder and death at all, but in a few pages I was hooked and wanted to know why Daniel had gone missing ....There are many twists and turns, you are never bored and often surprised, I did not know in the least who had started to kill....
Perhaps the best thing is that the pair of detectives are very real and likable ,with a little mystery in both their pasts to puzzle over....I was sorry to leave them at the end ,but happy to know this is the start of a series...I am almost certain that these books will be made into a tv series, I think it would be far better in material and characters than many such we have had in the past...

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly I bought this book because I love police/ crime thrillers and Mari Hannah is a local author. I loved every mention of Northumberland and all the places I've been to and driven past. However I also loved the story and could seriously not put the book down. There was as many twists and turns as there are on the beautiful Northumberland coastal roads! Bring on Stone and Oliver part 2 in November.

[CarolineFromConcord · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I was not especially impressed with the writing and don't feel I learned much about Northumberland, I thought the author did a good job of providing many potential perps. And I loved the two detectives.

Frankie, a third-generation officer (and a female) is just getting to know her boss, David, who took a demotion to leave London and return to the Northeast corner of England, where a beloved brother resides. I did look at the map and saw that Northumberland borders Scotland to the north and the North Sea to the east. Interesting possibilities for readers who love local color and language.

Frankie really likes working with David, but he is clearly harboring a tragic secret that causes paralysis at times and worries Frankie. Of course, she too has things she doesn't talk about.

At first the story seems to be about a missing child, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. As we progress, we learn a lot about the players and the two detectives as well. David is a creative thinker but more of a by-the-book guy than Frankie. She is one to act on intuition and to bend the rules if she thinks it's necessary. In that way she is like Ian Rankin's Scottish detective John Rebus. Just not as drunk.

There's a nail-biting threat near the end that I thought was wonderfully handled. Also well done was the final clue, which was only hinted at in the opening pages.

I would read this author again because I like a satisfying resolution and relatable characters who are on a trajectory of personal growth.

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost is the start of a new series introducing a fledgling detective partnership working out of Northumbria CID and this unfolding case is the first major incident that the combined team are faced with. This first encounter is a hugely impressive novel, both atmospheric and very involving with minute to minute developments keeping the reader focused and marks the start of a promising working relationship between DI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver. Slightly different to previous novels that I have read by Mari Hannah, the investigation is much more character driven and shown from a variety of different perspectives. In the main, the points of view showcased are that of both individual detectives and the mother and stepfather of a missing ten-year-old boy, Daniel Scott.

A month into their partnership, DI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver are still gauging the lie of the land and a little unsure of their opposite number. DI Stone has returned to his roots and nearby brother with his transfer back to the North requiring the loss of a rank and leaving the Met Murder Team. He initially comes across as a moody and undynamic loner, clearly labouring under a dark cloud and something of an enigma. DS Frankie Oliver is a third generation detective and local lass, as popular with her colleagues as she is passionate and dogged, with an innate sense of humour. Both Stone and Oliver and realistically drawn creations, each with their own strengths and weaknesses with DS Oliver at times hot-headed and often prone to overstepping the mark but honest to a fault with the bit between her teeth from the get-go.

In a case which at first presents as a standard missing persons situation, ten-year-old Daniel Scott goes missing whilst his mother, Alex Parker, is holidaying in Majorca and what should prove a fairly routine task for uniform gradually transpires into something far more sinister. DS Frankie Oliver twists the arm of DI Stone to take the case on thanks to a quiet night at the station and a personal agenda, only for Daniel to return home unharmed and a potential family crisis to be averted after what appears to have been a simple miscommunication. Superintendent “Windy” Gail orders the team to end plain clothes involvement and not delve into the matter further, only for a series of nasty events to follow and slowly dismantle the lives of the Parker family... As the new detective duo investigate they uncover a series of juicy secrets, lies and very convenient omissions amongst the small cast that surrounds the extended Parker clan; Daniel Scott, Alex and Tim Parker, Alex’s sister, Kathryn Tailford Irwin, live in French au pair, Justine Segal and Tim Parker’s business partner, Jamie Curtis. Stone and Oliver are intent on identifying the common denominator and nailing down means, opportunity and most critically, motive, which proves a far more dangerous task than either can imagine.

The Lost took almost fifty-pages to really settle into its stride and for me to become comfortable with just what just was unfolding, not because of the multiple perspectives which frequently alternates, but because DI Stone and DS Oliver do not cover themselves in glory in their first meeting with anxious and panicky mother, Alex Parker. In truth they make a pigs ear of the situation and I couldn’t work out exactly what was going on with DI Stone floundering and DS Oliver all at sea as to just why he is behaving so oddly as evinced by her slightly aggressive demeanour. Although DI Stone’s issue is clarified as the case is eventually resolved, my reticence surrounding his character meant that I didn’t warm or connect with him, unlike the leading characters of both of Mari Hannah’s previous two series. However, ameliorating these slight niggles are a huge numbers of positives, from the awareness to the undercurrents between the well-realised and complex characters to the constantly shifting focus that is dictated and driven by the evidence gathered. Impressively this is all nailed down with a timeline informed by authentic police procedure, with a realistic eye for forensic analysis hold-ups through to the added strain of rural policing cuts and the value of local knowledge. Mari Hannah informs and educates along the way with her attention to plausible procedure in tandem with engaging storytelling. The novel flows well and I found nothing jarring or awkward about the shifting points of view which allowing a free-flowing 360 degree focus on getting to the bottom of the events surrounding the Parker family.

Convincing and authentic, The Lost, is a brilliant mix of credible police investigation and slippery characters with a lot to hide and potentially more to lose. A sensitive case with uncomfortable disclosures in store, the ongoing focus is driven by the unfolding evidence meaning actions are justified. The pace is brisk and the barnstorming final quarter with some audacious twists simply magnificent! Astutely well-observed, the nuanced personal dynamics between both DI Stone and DS Oliver and Alex and Tim Parker adds another dimension to the story. Hannah perceptively exposes fleeting glances, dark looks and uncomfortable silences and the tension is consistently palpable in the Parker household as the unfolding drama reveals how calculating and duplicitous they all are!

Undoubtedly the more appealing of the pair, DS Frankie Oliver is an absolute diamond but DI David Stone left a much weaker imprint on the novel for me and hopefully his character will make a more favourable and assured impression in the follow-up. The Lost is a top calibre police procedural in the class of Sarah Hilary and Jane Casey and I cannot state enough how superior the novel is to the run of the mill police procedurals on the market. A gritty plot mired in layers of complexity, cleverly wangled out of a cast of inveterate liars! Excellent stuff!

[Linda Branham · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in series Oliver and Stone.The setting is the North east of England. Interesting main characters. - they are strong and unique with plenty of flaws and quirks .
The characters specific to this books are: the distraught mother, her secretive husband, the golden child, the mother’s wealthy sister and the French nanny. Who did what and with or to whom?The case develops in unexpected ways, that is impossible to predict. Murder seems to surround this family. The question is why?

[Wendy Greenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do so love Mari Hannah...and the beginning of a new chapter with 2 new detectives (and their backstories) certainly rocks my boat.

Crime novels are so difficult to rate..is it the writing, the red herrings, the sense of place, the pace or the denouement?
For me, this had it all, I loved it.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

New series form Mari Hannan is DI David Stone and DS Frankie Oliver.

A child disappears, then is returned, then child's nanny is killed. Are these two cases or one? Stone and Oliver have to work that out.

Well written and absorbing.

I already have the second book in the series on order at my library.

Highly recommended.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tense and twisted

[Horatian (amy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit drawn out. The banter and friendship between Stone and Frankie is a highlight.

[Phil Hodgkiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit long winded but enjoyable to read. The end was the best bit.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this new series from Mari..

Lots of action & great page turner