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Jack Rutherford and Amanda Lacey British Detective #5
Hey You, Pretty Face
An abandoned infant. Three victims stolen in the night. Can one overworked detective find the Christmas connection to save them all? London, 1999. Short-staffed during Christmas week, Detective Jack Rutherford can
338 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2018
1160 people are currently reading
848 people want to read
About the author
Linda Coles
34 books65 followersHi, I'm Linda Coles and I write British crime novels. #GreatBritishCrime. #BritishCrimeDrama
An English woman myself, I now reside in New Zealand with my husband, 1 cat and 6 wonderful goats. Google Earth and two UK based editors ensure I keep my stories and language, accurate. I’m the author of 17 books including four non-fiction and two of a very different genre published under a pen name.
I currently have three different series published:
Detectives Jack Rutherford and Amanda Lacey set in Croydon, south London.
Private investigator Chrissy Livingstone set in the upmarket areas of Surrey.
Amateur sleuth, mini-cab driver and part-time grave digger Will Peters, set in the Midlands.
There’s something for everyone!
A #1 Amazon bestselling author, I’ve been writing since 2011
A full-time writer, I also write newsletter content for accountants across the country, something to ‘cleanse my palette on’ and the polar opposite of dead bodies on the other side of the world. My claims to fame include having a cuddle with Lee Child, sharing a New York cab with Heather Graham, and interviewing Karen Slaughter as a podcast guest.
My latest book and series, Where There’s a Will is the first in a trilogy and sees Will Peters insert himself into the investigation of a young homeless man found dead in the woods. There’s a message written on his chest: Your Move. With the help of some of his elderly mini-cab customers, the unlikely group endeavor to solve the case, any way they can. With a serious message, it’s often amusing. Think Man on the Street and Thursday Murder Club rolled into one. I know you’ll enjoy it.
You can find out more of my work at lindacoles.com and all the usual social channels.
Drop me a line and say hello.
An English woman myself, I now reside in New Zealand with my husband, 1 cat and 6 wonderful goats. Google Earth and two UK based editors ensure I keep my stories and language, accurate. I’m the author of 17 books including four non-fiction and two of a very different genre published under a pen name.
I currently have three different series published:
Detectives Jack Rutherford and Amanda Lacey set in Croydon, south London.
Private investigator Chrissy Livingstone set in the upmarket areas of Surrey.
Amateur sleuth, mini-cab driver and part-time grave digger Will Peters, set in the Midlands.
There’s something for everyone!
A #1 Amazon bestselling author, I’ve been writing since 2011
A full-time writer, I also write newsletter content for accountants across the country, something to ‘cleanse my palette on’ and the polar opposite of dead bodies on the other side of the world. My claims to fame include having a cuddle with Lee Child, sharing a New York cab with Heather Graham, and interviewing Karen Slaughter as a podcast guest.
My latest book and series, Where There’s a Will is the first in a trilogy and sees Will Peters insert himself into the investigation of a young homeless man found dead in the woods. There’s a message written on his chest: Your Move. With the help of some of his elderly mini-cab customers, the unlikely group endeavor to solve the case, any way they can. With a serious message, it’s often amusing. Think Man on the Street and Thursday Murder Club rolled into one. I know you’ll enjoy it.
You can find out more of my work at lindacoles.com and all the usual social channels.
Drop me a line and say hello.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
December 6, 2018
This was a very good story and if there are going to be other stories in this series, I might give them a go.
What irritated me about it was the constant mention of food/eating/thinking of food. It made me wonder if the author was on a diet at the time and that made her think of food all the time...? Just speculating...
There were a few inconsistencies or things I couldn't get my head around (SPOILER ALERT!!!)
- somewhere in the book there was mentioned, when Jack was dropping the two homeless young people, that there were half a dozen garages in Pitt Street. However, at the end, there was just "the one garage" in Pitt Street.
- a paedo used to have sex with a girl who reminded him of his daughter (How sick is that!) (SPOILER ALERT AGAIN!!!) but that girl was an identical twin. IDENTICAL! Meaning she looked exactly like his daughter and he didn't realise that? If I met a kid who looked exactly like my kid and my kid's identical twin was said to have died right after birth, it would have me wondering if a mistake had been made all those years ago... but well, I probably give too much credit to a paedo. He most likely wasn't using his brain at the time of the meetings.
- Jack never told the paedo's wife and daughter why their husband/father got arrested, yet he mentioned his visits with the girl in Manchester as if he had done. He only explained to Chloe, not to the family... or did I miss something?
What irritated me about it was the constant mention of food/eating/thinking of food. It made me wonder if the author was on a diet at the time and that made her think of food all the time...? Just speculating...
There were a few inconsistencies or things I couldn't get my head around (SPOILER ALERT!!!)
- somewhere in the book there was mentioned, when Jack was dropping the two homeless young people, that there were half a dozen garages in Pitt Street. However, at the end, there was just "the one garage" in Pitt Street.
- a paedo used to have sex with a girl who reminded him of his daughter (How sick is that!) (SPOILER ALERT AGAIN!!!) but that girl was an identical twin. IDENTICAL! Meaning she looked exactly like his daughter and he didn't realise that? If I met a kid who looked exactly like my kid and my kid's identical twin was said to have died right after birth, it would have me wondering if a mistake had been made all those years ago... but well, I probably give too much credit to a paedo. He most likely wasn't using his brain at the time of the meetings.
- Jack never told the paedo's wife and daughter why their husband/father got arrested, yet he mentioned his visits with the girl in Manchester as if he had done. He only explained to Chloe, not to the family... or did I miss something?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2019
Enjoyed this book immensely. Loved the characters, plot and dialogue. Had trouble putting it down, but managed to sneak time out of a very busy time to keep reading. At one point I woke p in the middle of the night with it on my mind and had to read it until I couldn't see anymore and went back to sleep.
I loved DC Rutherford. Here was a man, although devoted to the law, but filled with so much humanity that he never lost sight of man as he really is - a slightly flawed human being, some much more than others.
It was a great story and book and I would have given it 5 stars, except the end was disappointing as it left too much up in the air. It did not even mention a sequel, etc. so we are left to wonder If Eddie and Morton are finally moved from their positions and Rutherford was finally recognized for his worth and rewarded therefor. Did jack and his wife adopt, did baby Mary and Chloe get to live with their respective mothers and if so, what happened to Billy? I do hate it the when a book leaves you hanging with so many questions and no suggestion of forthcoming answers,
I loved DC Rutherford. Here was a man, although devoted to the law, but filled with so much humanity that he never lost sight of man as he really is - a slightly flawed human being, some much more than others.
It was a great story and book and I would have given it 5 stars, except the end was disappointing as it left too much up in the air. It did not even mention a sequel, etc. so we are left to wonder If Eddie and Morton are finally moved from their positions and Rutherford was finally recognized for his worth and rewarded therefor. Did jack and his wife adopt, did baby Mary and Chloe get to live with their respective mothers and if so, what happened to Billy? I do hate it the when a book leaves you hanging with so many questions and no suggestion of forthcoming answers,
January 29, 2019
Review
Loved this book. As with all free books, I wonder if they’ll be any good. Why else would they be free? Anyhoo, I enjoyed this one immensely. Was hoping for a different ending though.
Loved this book. As with all free books, I wonder if they’ll be any good. Why else would they be free? Anyhoo, I enjoyed this one immensely. Was hoping for a different ending though.
November 25, 2018
Fantastic really good book
I understand this is the first jack Rutherford book, well please please tell me it’s definitely not going to be his last I was hooked from the first chapter, although I think jack gets a bit of a rough deal with his two superiors not doing a lot and leave jack to almost single handily run and delegate the investigation on his own. Yes jack is a good cop a police officer with a heart the way he takes to billy who’s living on the streets billy living with a girl he met called Chloe. Little 3 girls go missing eventually one escapes and kills a kidnapper the others are found have been dropped off on the edge of the motorway bound and gagged with a pillow case over there heads, now I say this often enough do they survive well that’s for you to read, it’s a easy case it’s chasing time and people but with a massive massive twist at the end, thanks to jack who eventually sorts it out. You wouldn’t believe the connection from the girl who escaped to choke living rough. It’s definitely definitely a book to read you will fully enjoy the book, only sick side is the pedofiles that in itself is sick, fortunately they don’t get away with it. Must must must read
I understand this is the first jack Rutherford book, well please please tell me it’s definitely not going to be his last I was hooked from the first chapter, although I think jack gets a bit of a rough deal with his two superiors not doing a lot and leave jack to almost single handily run and delegate the investigation on his own. Yes jack is a good cop a police officer with a heart the way he takes to billy who’s living on the streets billy living with a girl he met called Chloe. Little 3 girls go missing eventually one escapes and kills a kidnapper the others are found have been dropped off on the edge of the motorway bound and gagged with a pillow case over there heads, now I say this often enough do they survive well that’s for you to read, it’s a easy case it’s chasing time and people but with a massive massive twist at the end, thanks to jack who eventually sorts it out. You wouldn’t believe the connection from the girl who escaped to choke living rough. It’s definitely definitely a book to read you will fully enjoy the book, only sick side is the pedofiles that in itself is sick, fortunately they don’t get away with it. Must must must read
May 4, 2019
I found this book to be a very entertaining read, and it makes for a good start to a detective series. Some of the themes that surface over the course of the novel may be a bit difficult for some people, but it seems like something that (while a bit far-fetched at times) could actually happen. Jack is your typical detective who's trying to do the best he can by his job and the people of his community, even when the higher-ups don't seem to care even a quarter as much. I love the relationship between him and his wife, and how he interacts with those he meets over the course of the story. All-in-all, it's an intriguing book, though I did figure it out fairly quickly (although that may have been intentional on the author's part, allowing the reader to know all the pieces and follow along while law enforcement tries to figure it out), and I would read others in this series to see where it goes from here.
4 stars
4 stars
May 4, 2019
Great read. First one of this author, but plan to read more from her. This is a British locale book. Little girls are kidnapped, to be sexual slaves. An older girl is taken also, because she saw one of the kidnappings.
Jack, who is in law enforcement, is working to find them. Unfortunately, his Superiors, above him are useless. They are just coasting.
Jack also gets involved with an abandoned baby, and is trying to find the parents via DNA.
Jack has a heart, he is also helping some street kids.
Loved this.
Jack, who is in law enforcement, is working to find them. Unfortunately, his Superiors, above him are useless. They are just coasting.
Jack also gets involved with an abandoned baby, and is trying to find the parents via DNA.
Jack has a heart, he is also helping some street kids.
Loved this.
May 6, 2019
Jack Rutherford doesn't even have time enough to breathe, but he must work double time to find who left the baby on the church steps and three missing girls. For some reason, he feels the cases are related somehow and he is planning to find it! With just a few other officers to help him, he finds clues to a truly horrible sex crime ring, he is hell-bent on getting it busted up! Can he do it? At what cost? Things don't always turn out as one would wish. A very hard-boiled detective story! I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book.
January 26, 2019
Heart stopping, jaw dropping!
Loved this book! So many twists & turns & plot twists! There wasn't a moment I wasn't wondering what would happen next! Terrific read! I'd highly recommend it!
Loved this book! So many twists & turns & plot twists! There wasn't a moment I wasn't wondering what would happen next! Terrific read! I'd highly recommend it!
January 30, 2019
Very good.
A short time into the reading, I realized where things were going yet I wanted to find out for sure! Things may not end the way you want them to, but I'm certain you will enjoy finding out for yourself.
A short time into the reading, I realized where things were going yet I wanted to find out for sure! Things may not end the way you want them to, but I'm certain you will enjoy finding out for yourself.
April 13, 2019
Wow
LOVED Fast paced, strong characters and story. Looking forward to readying more from Linda Cole. Felt like I was in UK with Jack Rutherford..
LOVED Fast paced, strong characters and story. Looking forward to readying more from Linda Cole. Felt like I was in UK with Jack Rutherford..
July 22, 2019
HEY YOU, PRETTY FACE is the opening book in a new series based around detective Jack Rutherford. Previously appearing in a supporting role in DARK SERVICE, NZ based author Linda Coles longer running DS Amanda Lacey series, this book sees Rutherford leading the search for a series of abducted girls and handling an abandoned infant, with a skeleton staff over Christmas.
As with the Lacey series, Coles is an author who knows how to put together a good plot outline, this time a trio of missing girls, and a found infant, and clues pointing towards the inevitable exploitation of that sort of scenario, this is not a comfortable undertaking. Balanced against that plot and the day to day work of a policeman working those sorts of cases, is the relationship between Rutherford and his wife, which is loving, very home based, and designed, obviously, to provide some relief from the day to day awfulness.
Reading this novel, before delving into the 4th and 5th books in the Amanda Lacey series (DARK SERVICE and ONE LAST HIT), I will confess I struggled a little. Not reading blurbs, or pre-publicity of any sort means that the book, characters, plot and timeframes have to be firmly telegraphed by the narrative, and the dialogue. I will confess to some considerable surprise then when Rutherford picked up his mobile phone. I'd immediately got it in my head that this was an historical novel, so the surprise was genuine. There was something about the dialogue, and a tendency to tell, rather than show, that felt older and more stylised than current police procedurals. After that, I succumbed and read the blurb and got things straight in my own mind, thereby giving myself a mild case of first third of the book disbelief, as DNA has been in use since around 1986 by the time this book is set (1999), which meant I was more than a bit startled to find Rutherford's wife seemed to know more about the subject than an investigating officer in the UK Met.
As with the Lacey series though, this author's strength is in the targeting of clever, current-day plots. Given this is the first outing in a new series, a slightly abrupt ending probably telegraphs more about what's expected in upcoming books, and as with the Amanda Lacey series, there's heaps of potential to block off some of the byways, get the dialogue more free-flowing, and allow the characters to establish their places in the investigative world.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
As with the Lacey series, Coles is an author who knows how to put together a good plot outline, this time a trio of missing girls, and a found infant, and clues pointing towards the inevitable exploitation of that sort of scenario, this is not a comfortable undertaking. Balanced against that plot and the day to day work of a policeman working those sorts of cases, is the relationship between Rutherford and his wife, which is loving, very home based, and designed, obviously, to provide some relief from the day to day awfulness.
Reading this novel, before delving into the 4th and 5th books in the Amanda Lacey series (DARK SERVICE and ONE LAST HIT), I will confess I struggled a little. Not reading blurbs, or pre-publicity of any sort means that the book, characters, plot and timeframes have to be firmly telegraphed by the narrative, and the dialogue. I will confess to some considerable surprise then when Rutherford picked up his mobile phone. I'd immediately got it in my head that this was an historical novel, so the surprise was genuine. There was something about the dialogue, and a tendency to tell, rather than show, that felt older and more stylised than current police procedurals. After that, I succumbed and read the blurb and got things straight in my own mind, thereby giving myself a mild case of first third of the book disbelief, as DNA has been in use since around 1986 by the time this book is set (1999), which meant I was more than a bit startled to find Rutherford's wife seemed to know more about the subject than an investigating officer in the UK Met.
As with the Lacey series though, this author's strength is in the targeting of clever, current-day plots. Given this is the first outing in a new series, a slightly abrupt ending probably telegraphs more about what's expected in upcoming books, and as with the Amanda Lacey series, there's heaps of potential to block off some of the byways, get the dialogue more free-flowing, and allow the characters to establish their places in the investigative world.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
June 9, 2020
Really good British police procedural. I'm a big fan of British books and this one really fits the bill. Issues include teenage pregnancies, kidnapping of very young girls, pedophilia, DNA testing, and abandoned babies. Jack is an overworked detective trying to solve multiple cases at once. He is a decent man, a hardworking detective, and a devoted husband. So nice to read about a nice guy once in a while. So many twists and turns make the pages fly by. Truly enjoyable and highly recommended.
February 8, 2020
Quick read, to the point.
This is the first book of Linda Coles' that I've read. It was enjoyable, even suspenseful at times. I like that it was very much quick and to the point. I didn't have to listen to unrelated details for pages on end before seeing the next discovery in the investigation. This was a great bedtime read: not too heavy and not boring. I would read another of Linda's books.
This is the first book of Linda Coles' that I've read. It was enjoyable, even suspenseful at times. I like that it was very much quick and to the point. I didn't have to listen to unrelated details for pages on end before seeing the next discovery in the investigation. This was a great bedtime read: not too heavy and not boring. I would read another of Linda's books.
May 5, 2019
This was an amazingly written mystery novel. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy. The story surrounds 3 missing girls and an abandoned baby. I loved this book because it’s main character Jack isn’t a typical main character mystery novel. I wasn’t a fan of the story mainly because of the subject matter. It is incredibly well written definitely a page turner.
September 17, 2019
Bloody good read
Sometimes a good read is all that's needed to get thru a crap day. The characters were well written, even though a mite sad. But life's much like that unfortunately.
Sometimes a good read is all that's needed to get thru a crap day. The characters were well written, even though a mite sad. But life's much like that unfortunately.
August 15, 2019
This was a really good mystery. Kept me in suspense. A newborn found in a church, three teen girls abducted and it is Christmas time. The DC Jack Rutherford is overworked and his bosses aren't helping a bit.
I'd highly recommend this book.
I'd highly recommend this book.
September 7, 2019
Well written and gripping.
Well written and gripping. I didn’t want to put it down. It handles the subject very well and I felt like I knew the characters and wanted to find out more.
Well written and gripping. I didn’t want to put it down. It handles the subject very well and I felt like I knew the characters and wanted to find out more.
August 14, 2019
Great story!
Very well written. Likable strong characters. A good plot with lots of twist. It was a joy to read. I will be reading more of Linda Coles books.
Very well written. Likable strong characters. A good plot with lots of twist. It was a joy to read. I will be reading more of Linda Coles books.
August 15, 2019
Absolutely Brilliant
Wow, what a tense page turner. The best novel I've read in a long long time. Will follow this author.
Wow, what a tense page turner. The best novel I've read in a long long time. Will follow this author.
September 2, 2019
A real nail biter
Jack pieces several cases together to solve a couple of mysteries and reunite families. Lots of twists and turns. Really enjoyed reading.
Jack pieces several cases together to solve a couple of mysteries and reunite families. Lots of twists and turns. Really enjoyed reading.
September 9, 2019
Crime isn't my genre but I read the book because I know Linda and I didn't know she was an author, let alone a very good one.
The plot seemed to start a little slow, but perhaps that is my lack of experience with the genre, because a lot of it was about building the environment, the characterisation and the plot. Once we got through that, I really enjoyed the book.
A lot of writers I normally read feature a lot of metaphors and other tools that I enjoy, when they are good and there weren't many in this book, but in reality people don't often think or talk that way, but they do have expressions that belong to a period and this book featured those and while I'm not British, I recognised those living in a country, New Zealand that was sometimes referred to as more British than Britain, other than the royalty.
The characters were real and believable and whilst I will not be changing my reading preferences, except that I will be looking forward to and buying the next book in the series to see what Jack gets up to next.
The plot seemed to start a little slow, but perhaps that is my lack of experience with the genre, because a lot of it was about building the environment, the characterisation and the plot. Once we got through that, I really enjoyed the book.
A lot of writers I normally read feature a lot of metaphors and other tools that I enjoy, when they are good and there weren't many in this book, but in reality people don't often think or talk that way, but they do have expressions that belong to a period and this book featured those and while I'm not British, I recognised those living in a country, New Zealand that was sometimes referred to as more British than Britain, other than the royalty.
The characters were real and believable and whilst I will not be changing my reading preferences, except that I will be looking forward to and buying the next book in the series to see what Jack gets up to next.
December 20, 2021
Croydon 1999. Who has left a newborn baby on the church steps and why. Meanwhile two teenagers have gone missing on the same evening. DC Jack Rutherford and the team investigate.
An interesting story with its varied and somewhat likeable but flawed characters
An interesting story with its varied and somewhat likeable but flawed characters
May 8, 2019
This is the sixth book in the Jack Rutherford and Amanda Lacey series, but takes place years before Jack meets up with Amanda. The book starts over the Christmas holiday season of 1999, in London. The police station is short staffed due to the holidays and Jack is called out to a missing teenage girl. The girl had been walking her dog to the end of her street, when she disappeared. Another callout is for a new born baby girl, found abandoned in a church doorway the night before and brought to the local hospital the next morning by an older woman. The hospital staff name the baby Mary, due to the holidays.
Another two girls go missing and Jack is pulled away from home and his wife even more. At least he has a very understanding wife, who totally supports him and his work. DNA evidence and testing is something new in crime investigations at that time, but Jack’s wife tells him about a test that can done to find family members by a simple DNA test. He is hoping somehow, that he might be able to find a family link to the baby that was deserted at the church. He has a suspicion that the baby is linked to the missing girl cases, but is unsure how, just a gut feeling. One girl is a good bit older than the others and may have been a witness, rather than an actual target.
A large and organised crime ring seem to behind the abductions of the young girls. Each of the girls are separated, held in an isolated house and don’t know about each other. The only contact the eldest girl has, is with a young woman who doesn’t speak and seems well downtrodden by their captors and not very healthy. Because of her, one of the girls is able to escape, but not before something terrible happens. The remaining criminals in the gang, must re-adjust their plans and Jack will have to chase down the clues to see if he can locate the remaining missing girls.
A sad tale of child abuse and of those evil men in society that want young children, girls in this case, for their own guilty pleasures. The story also goes into the missing child investigations, the role of family liaison officers and the initial questioning of the parents by Jack and other officers. How parents reply to these questions and what they actually know about their own children can often be very revealing. What Jack discovers can hopefully lead him to finding out where the girls are and get them all back safely to their families, before the criminal gang disperse them to their end locations, where they will never be found.
The new use of familial DNA connections for attempting to identify relations to the abandoned baby, or the mother of the baby herself, are a great way to show the beginning of the use of DNA in criminal cases and not always to prove guilt. This is another fantastic book by this author. Some of the events that take place and the sort of crime that is being undertaken by the criminal gang in this book, might be upsetting to some readers, or too close to the bone. That is understandable. The author isn’t afraid to tackle some disturbing topics in their books and they make for great reading. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems, but have also bought it and I am collecting up the rest of the authors books as I can. I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Another two girls go missing and Jack is pulled away from home and his wife even more. At least he has a very understanding wife, who totally supports him and his work. DNA evidence and testing is something new in crime investigations at that time, but Jack’s wife tells him about a test that can done to find family members by a simple DNA test. He is hoping somehow, that he might be able to find a family link to the baby that was deserted at the church. He has a suspicion that the baby is linked to the missing girl cases, but is unsure how, just a gut feeling. One girl is a good bit older than the others and may have been a witness, rather than an actual target.
A large and organised crime ring seem to behind the abductions of the young girls. Each of the girls are separated, held in an isolated house and don’t know about each other. The only contact the eldest girl has, is with a young woman who doesn’t speak and seems well downtrodden by their captors and not very healthy. Because of her, one of the girls is able to escape, but not before something terrible happens. The remaining criminals in the gang, must re-adjust their plans and Jack will have to chase down the clues to see if he can locate the remaining missing girls.
A sad tale of child abuse and of those evil men in society that want young children, girls in this case, for their own guilty pleasures. The story also goes into the missing child investigations, the role of family liaison officers and the initial questioning of the parents by Jack and other officers. How parents reply to these questions and what they actually know about their own children can often be very revealing. What Jack discovers can hopefully lead him to finding out where the girls are and get them all back safely to their families, before the criminal gang disperse them to their end locations, where they will never be found.
The new use of familial DNA connections for attempting to identify relations to the abandoned baby, or the mother of the baby herself, are a great way to show the beginning of the use of DNA in criminal cases and not always to prove guilt. This is another fantastic book by this author. Some of the events that take place and the sort of crime that is being undertaken by the criminal gang in this book, might be upsetting to some readers, or too close to the bone. That is understandable. The author isn’t afraid to tackle some disturbing topics in their books and they make for great reading. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems, but have also bought it and I am collecting up the rest of the authors books as I can. I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
August 10, 2019
Multiple Plots Woven into One Wonderful Story
This is my first Jack Rutherford novel, and I enjoyed every word. The characters are so much better than trite, cliche placeholders easily exchanged with any number of others in this genre. This is a well developed, three-dimensional cast with fully developed personalities. Some are lazy and annoying, some are sweet and pitiable. A few are reprehensible. And the lead is stalwart and true. His relationship with his wife warmed my heart, and his interactions with Billy, Chloe, and Mary warmed my soul.
The author did a remarkable job of tying up all the threads into one tidy bow. While I saw how it was all going to come together very early in the story, it didn't diminish my pleasure at all. It was the character progression that carried the novel.
Like I said, this is my first jack Rutherford novel. But it won't be my last.
This is my first Jack Rutherford novel, and I enjoyed every word. The characters are so much better than trite, cliche placeholders easily exchanged with any number of others in this genre. This is a well developed, three-dimensional cast with fully developed personalities. Some are lazy and annoying, some are sweet and pitiable. A few are reprehensible. And the lead is stalwart and true. His relationship with his wife warmed my heart, and his interactions with Billy, Chloe, and Mary warmed my soul.
The author did a remarkable job of tying up all the threads into one tidy bow. While I saw how it was all going to come together very early in the story, it didn't diminish my pleasure at all. It was the character progression that carried the novel.
Like I said, this is my first jack Rutherford novel. But it won't be my last.
May 9, 2019
Hey You, Pretty Face
This was a well thought out story with heartbreak and disturbing but unfortunate truths in the world which we abide in. There were twists and turns and storylines within storylines. The only thing I can possibly add to this is I would have appreciated an epilogue telling the ending for Chloe and Billy and what eventually happens to baby Mary. The rest we hope we will see how DI Jack’s unfortunate work situation is handled. The story ends abruptly even though it is on a happy note. Chloe’s story was very touching and the interaction between her and Billy was touching, it would have been nice to hear Billy’s story.
This was a well thought out story with heartbreak and disturbing but unfortunate truths in the world which we abide in. There were twists and turns and storylines within storylines. The only thing I can possibly add to this is I would have appreciated an epilogue telling the ending for Chloe and Billy and what eventually happens to baby Mary. The rest we hope we will see how DI Jack’s unfortunate work situation is handled. The story ends abruptly even though it is on a happy note. Chloe’s story was very touching and the interaction between her and Billy was touching, it would have been nice to hear Billy’s story.
May 31, 2019
I received a free copy of this book from Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review.
Hey you pretty face is a dark journey into the world of human trafficking and pedophilia. Detective Jack is trying to solve the kidnappings of 3 young girls while also investigating the identity of a newborn abandoned at the hospital.
This was a decent read. Nothing terribly original, but I liked the characters, and appreciated Jack’s very personal concern for all the young girls he was trying to help. The story kept me interested all the way through and flowed well. The dialogue was believable and not forced. There’s nothing I hate more than cheesy dialogue.
Definitely a thumbs up; a solid read.
Hey you pretty face is a dark journey into the world of human trafficking and pedophilia. Detective Jack is trying to solve the kidnappings of 3 young girls while also investigating the identity of a newborn abandoned at the hospital.
This was a decent read. Nothing terribly original, but I liked the characters, and appreciated Jack’s very personal concern for all the young girls he was trying to help. The story kept me interested all the way through and flowed well. The dialogue was believable and not forced. There’s nothing I hate more than cheesy dialogue.
Definitely a thumbs up; a solid read.
April 4, 2020
Outstanding drama
Another outstanding book from the pen of Linda Coles. This is the second book I have read by Linda C9inci Dee n 5tally I have had obtained the two books wo8th9out realising they were from he sa6me author. Just like the previous book, Scream Blue Murder, this is a well written and enthralling novel. It has all the same intriguing detail of storyline although being a different type story it still is a terrific page turner and practically impossible to put down. I recommend that all enthusiasts of excellent murder/mystery/drama novels start reading all of Linda Coles books immediately. You certainly will not be disappointed.
Another outstanding book from the pen of Linda Coles. This is the second book I have read by Linda C9inci Dee n 5tally I have had obtained the two books wo8th9out realising they were from he sa6me author. Just like the previous book, Scream Blue Murder, this is a well written and enthralling novel. It has all the same intriguing detail of storyline although being a different type story it still is a terrific page turner and practically impossible to put down. I recommend that all enthusiasts of excellent murder/mystery/drama novels start reading all of Linda Coles books immediately. You certainly will not be disappointed.
December 9, 2021
Another well plotted book with intertwining stories then bang, mystery solved, the book ends. Nothing more about what happens to the characters, so many loose ends. What happens to Baby Mary - is she reunited with her biological mother? What happens to Chloe - does she continue to live on the street or does she move in with her mother and sister? What happens to Billy? How does Leanne cope? How does the 12 year old rape victim fare? Who was the fourth woman who helped Leanne escape? Did they find her identity? I could go on - books that just stop, and I say stop rather than end, leave me sleepless.
August 18, 2019
Ehhh
I liked the book, but I didn’t love it. In the middle I got a little bored and had to make myself finish it. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the characters, I did, it was more the slow pace of the case and the constant descriptions of food lol. I figured out things before Rutherford did too, so that contributed to my boredom. I did look forward to a happy ending, and I suppose it was, but it lacked the “happily ever after” I wanted. By that I means things weren’t completely resolved. It felt like the author just got tired of writing and stopped.
I liked the book, but I didn’t love it. In the middle I got a little bored and had to make myself finish it. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the characters, I did, it was more the slow pace of the case and the constant descriptions of food lol. I figured out things before Rutherford did too, so that contributed to my boredom. I did look forward to a happy ending, and I suppose it was, but it lacked the “happily ever after” I wanted. By that I means things weren’t completely resolved. It felt like the author just got tired of writing and stopped.
June 30, 2019
Totally a great read. Sad yet happy endings are the best. But it is a big ring of stolen children used as sex slaves these days. So sad in deed. I sure am glad things came out for the better for the young girls except the one whom was found dead in the water..so sad..im sure glad this is fiction yet really read and sounded as non- fiction. Great book..recommend to any and all who lobe happy endings.
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