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DI Sasha Dawson #1
The Bad Place
The newspapers called it The Bad Place. A remote farm out on the Thames estuary, where six children were held captive for two weeks. Five of them got out alive. That was 20 years ago. Now adults, they meet up annually to hold a candlelit vigil for their friend who died. The only rule is that no one can talk about what happened the night they escaped. But at this year's event, one of them witnesses a kidnapping. A young girl, Sammi, is bundled into a van in front of their eyes. Is history repeating itself? Is one of them responsible? Or is someone sending them a twisted message? DI Sasha Dawson, of Essex Police, is certain that the key to finding Sammi lies in finding out the truth about The Bad Place. But she also knows that with every second she spends trying to unlock the past, the clock ticks down for the missing girl.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2019
301 people are currently reading
780 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
September 4, 2019
Yeah, the first book in what looks like to be a fabulous new series from an author that has written a remarkable plot.
Let’s introduce DI Sasha.
A very dedicated woman who seems married to her job at times more than the man who is her husband. And her two children who she loves and adores but really doesn’t get to see their mom much.
The plot.
The Bad Place is somewhere where something really bad happened and 6 children were taken and 5 got out.
That was some 20 years ago.
The “children” are now grown.
But have they kept in touch?
The author gives the reader just enough information to get you guessing on events and characters.
Then after 20 years it seems something happens to throw everyone back in time.
What I loved about this was, I’d gone off of a lot of detective stories of late as they’ve been much of a muchness. But this one was fresh, a true taste of a breath of fresh air in a detective book. There was something about the way this was written.
I’ll try to put my finger on it.
It’s a DI, police procedure type of read but has a fiction/novel type awareness to it.
A human side to every character, a past, and an insight to their daily life, not just based around the Investigation.
That worked for me personally and held my attention.
I love his writing style it flowed so well. The chapters are short enough to rest your book down if need be, then pick it up fully remembering where you got up to.
It was so easy to follow.
The depth of the story was deep enough for the reader to fall into places that were sometimes dark. Anxious moments that quickened your heart beat.
I thought the pace, power and timing was spot on.
I just cannot wait for book 2.
Sasha has become my up and coming DI.
Can’t wait to see her life unfold in book 2 and if she’s learnt anything about herself.
Let’s introduce DI Sasha.
A very dedicated woman who seems married to her job at times more than the man who is her husband. And her two children who she loves and adores but really doesn’t get to see their mom much.
The plot.
The Bad Place is somewhere where something really bad happened and 6 children were taken and 5 got out.
That was some 20 years ago.
The “children” are now grown.
But have they kept in touch?
The author gives the reader just enough information to get you guessing on events and characters.
Then after 20 years it seems something happens to throw everyone back in time.
What I loved about this was, I’d gone off of a lot of detective stories of late as they’ve been much of a muchness. But this one was fresh, a true taste of a breath of fresh air in a detective book. There was something about the way this was written.
I’ll try to put my finger on it.
It’s a DI, police procedure type of read but has a fiction/novel type awareness to it.
A human side to every character, a past, and an insight to their daily life, not just based around the Investigation.
That worked for me personally and held my attention.
I love his writing style it flowed so well. The chapters are short enough to rest your book down if need be, then pick it up fully remembering where you got up to.
It was so easy to follow.
The depth of the story was deep enough for the reader to fall into places that were sometimes dark. Anxious moments that quickened your heart beat.
I thought the pace, power and timing was spot on.
I just cannot wait for book 2.
Sasha has become my up and coming DI.
Can’t wait to see her life unfold in book 2 and if she’s learnt anything about herself.
September 1, 2019
Twenty sist years ago, six children went missing. They were held captive for two weeks. But only five of them made it back out.
Now it's the present day and children are going missing again. They seem to have a connection to the to the original case. Will the police arrest the culprit before anyone else disappears?
This story is told through a duel timeline. In the last we learn what happened twenty six years age. The present is what's happening now. This is an addictive dark read. I really like the authors style in writing. What a great character DI Sasha Dawson is. She has a chaotic home life but that just made her more human. There is a lot goes on in this fast paced police procedural. There are plenty of twists in the plot line . The suspense grows with each turn of the page. This is the first book in a new series that I will definitely be looking out for. I do recommend this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Head of Zeus and the author MK Hill for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Now it's the present day and children are going missing again. They seem to have a connection to the to the original case. Will the police arrest the culprit before anyone else disappears?
This story is told through a duel timeline. In the last we learn what happened twenty six years age. The present is what's happening now. This is an addictive dark read. I really like the authors style in writing. What a great character DI Sasha Dawson is. She has a chaotic home life but that just made her more human. There is a lot goes on in this fast paced police procedural. There are plenty of twists in the plot line . The suspense grows with each turn of the page. This is the first book in a new series that I will definitely be looking out for. I do recommend this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Head of Zeus and the author MK Hill for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2019
I love starting a new series, something to sink your teeth into, this book lived up to all my expectations.
26 years ago 6 teenagers are kidnapped and kept hostage at The Bad Place, only 5 are rescued. Years later they still meet up every year, the only thing they have in common was the terrible ordeal they went through together. Each has been affected differently but all hide their psychological scars from the outside world.
Told over 2 timelines the story goes back to the kidnapping and present time where a similar crime takes place. Are the 2 incidents connected?
D.I Sasha Dawson is running the investigation, she is a real woman trying to balance a career with bringing up 2 children.
A book that is hard to put down, I wanted to just read 1 more chapter before bed but soon found myself finishing this in the early hours of the morning.
Looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
26 years ago 6 teenagers are kidnapped and kept hostage at The Bad Place, only 5 are rescued. Years later they still meet up every year, the only thing they have in common was the terrible ordeal they went through together. Each has been affected differently but all hide their psychological scars from the outside world.
Told over 2 timelines the story goes back to the kidnapping and present time where a similar crime takes place. Are the 2 incidents connected?
D.I Sasha Dawson is running the investigation, she is a real woman trying to balance a career with bringing up 2 children.
A book that is hard to put down, I wanted to just read 1 more chapter before bed but soon found myself finishing this in the early hours of the morning.
Looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
August 11, 2019
The Bad Place by Mark Hill, a dark and suspenseful read. This is the first book by this writer and I can't wait for more. I hope that we will meet DI Sasha Dawson again soon, there is still so much of her story to learn I am sure. I really enjoyed this police procedural with its surprise ending, twisty story and interesting and complex characters. So much going on that you just have to keep turning those pages.
The Bad Place was a remote farm where over 20 years ago 6 kids were taken and held hostage. Only 5 of them got away. Now the surviving 5 hold an annual candlelight vigil for their friend Becky who didn't make it out. This year one of them witnesses a young girl being kidnapped and the memories come flooding back. It is the first of many bad things to happen to these people and DI Sasha Dawson is called into find the girl and stop whoever is doing this. She believes it all stems back to the Bad Place, a case where she was a young WPC at the start of her career.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
The Bad Place was a remote farm where over 20 years ago 6 kids were taken and held hostage. Only 5 of them got away. Now the surviving 5 hold an annual candlelight vigil for their friend Becky who didn't make it out. This year one of them witnesses a young girl being kidnapped and the memories come flooding back. It is the first of many bad things to happen to these people and DI Sasha Dawson is called into find the girl and stop whoever is doing this. She believes it all stems back to the Bad Place, a case where she was a young WPC at the start of her career.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
September 27, 2019
The Bad Place is M.K. Hill's (or Mark Hill's) third thriller and the first in a promising new police procedural series featuring the interesting DI Sasha Dawson. This will certainly whet your appetite for future instalments. It's a dramatic thriller with a lot going on but the complexity goes to show just how creative and original the author actually is. On top of the drama, however, is a well thought out plot with the kind of substance missing from many books in the genre. It's perfectly written with the correct amount of description but not so much as to drag the story down. The cast of characters are fascinating and developed superbly; I can't wait to meet the intrepid Sasha once again in future books. There are more twists and turns, peaks and troughs than you can shake a stick at, and they are immaculately placed for maximum impact.
Although I tried to guess the identity of the kidnapper I was completely wrong; it is the only time being wrong is amazing! Cleverly constructed with surprises around every corner, I was gripped from the beginning and it had me enthralled throughout without issue. I keep an eye on developments in the writing sphere and know that Mr Hill has signed a three-book deal so we can look forward to at least two more instalments and two more meetings with Sasha. She has many problems in her personal life so I hope to see her evolution over the series. Lastly, the conclusion was simply brilliant and as satisfying as it could possibly be. Many thanks to HoZ/Aria for an ARC.
Although I tried to guess the identity of the kidnapper I was completely wrong; it is the only time being wrong is amazing! Cleverly constructed with surprises around every corner, I was gripped from the beginning and it had me enthralled throughout without issue. I keep an eye on developments in the writing sphere and know that Mr Hill has signed a three-book deal so we can look forward to at least two more instalments and two more meetings with Sasha. She has many problems in her personal life so I hope to see her evolution over the series. Lastly, the conclusion was simply brilliant and as satisfying as it could possibly be. Many thanks to HoZ/Aria for an ARC.
June 25, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed The Bad Place, it was perfectly paced, an addictive crime thriller with some engaging, often divisive characters and one of those past/present storylines that I’m particularly fond of.
There’s a cleverly obfuscated group dynamic that keeps things unpredictable and main protagonist Sasha Dawson is one of those detectives you really relate to, juggling family and job through challenging times. The mystery element is intriguing and there’s a healthy dose of realism to the whole thing backed up by great writing.
Yes. Very good. I will definitely look forward to more Sasha Dawson adventures.
Recommended.
There’s a cleverly obfuscated group dynamic that keeps things unpredictable and main protagonist Sasha Dawson is one of those detectives you really relate to, juggling family and job through challenging times. The mystery element is intriguing and there’s a healthy dose of realism to the whole thing backed up by great writing.
Yes. Very good. I will definitely look forward to more Sasha Dawson adventures.
Recommended.
September 27, 2019
Read on Kindle Unlimited!
So I was very spooked out by this thriller. So much so that I had to put my kindle down a few times, so I could take a deep breath and then carry on with the story. Set in both the past and present-day, about a shocking case of a group of children being abducted in broad daylight and held against their will. Five of them were found alive, the sixth and final one murdered. The same thing starts happening again many years later and it is up to DI Sasha and her team to track down the culprits before it's too late. A story not just looking at the missing person cases, but also mental health in men, bullying, drug addiction, past family lives, marriage breakdowns etc. Despite being very scared, this was a good crime thriller read, although reading last thing at night may not be a good idea!
So I was very spooked out by this thriller. So much so that I had to put my kindle down a few times, so I could take a deep breath and then carry on with the story. Set in both the past and present-day, about a shocking case of a group of children being abducted in broad daylight and held against their will. Five of them were found alive, the sixth and final one murdered. The same thing starts happening again many years later and it is up to DI Sasha and her team to track down the culprits before it's too late. A story not just looking at the missing person cases, but also mental health in men, bullying, drug addiction, past family lives, marriage breakdowns etc. Despite being very scared, this was a good crime thriller read, although reading last thing at night may not be a good idea!
September 13, 2019
★★★★ 4.5 stars
From the outset, THE BAD PLACE by M.K. Hill appears to be an exciting new series from a new author (to me). A remarkable and enthralling plot, I was pleasantly surprised that despite its seemingly random start it turned into something so insidious I didn't want to put it down and found myself racing to the finish.
Introducing DI Sasha Dawson. Although I am not a fan of the strong ballsy female type, Sasha is different. She is strong but not bitchy; she is open-minded but fair; she is sensitive, likable and yet she is still fallible. I like Sasha, though I could throttle her kids, and her relationship with her team is a good one with each bringing their own strengths to the investigation. I hate in-house fighting and to see a team work well together is a refreshing change.
Twenty six years ago, 6 teenagers were kidnapped and held in a dank dark cellar for two weeks. Only 5 make it out alive. But it takes the abduction of three children today to discover the truth from back then. Now every year the surviving victims meet for dinner and a candlelit vigil for their lost friend, Becky, with the unspoken condition that no one talk about what happened.
But this year is different. On the way to their annual vigil, one of the survivors witnesses a young girl being abducted. However, Lydia is not a reliable witness having struggled with addiction for most of her life since their time in "the bad place". The rest of them pass it off as a fantastical delusion Lydia had obviously misconstrued, given her behaviour has always been somewhat erratic. But then the next day, a report of a 15 year old girl having gone missing rings in their minds. Maybe Lydia WAS telling the truth after all.
Enter DI Sasha Dawson of Essex Police.
Sasha is no stranger to "the bad place" case. She'd been a week into her career and was just a probationary constable when the case broke, the victims escaped and had been there at Jerry Swann's final stand. She remembered one of the girls, Karin McCarthy, and had spoken to her the night of their escape and her face had haunted Sasha since. Now 15 year old Sammi was missing and aside from Lydia witnessing the abduction which had taken place near Karin's house, there is another link to "the bad place" five. One of the other survivors, Michelle, was Sammi's godmother. Coincidence? Sasha thinks not. What is it about these five remaining survivors that holds the key to Sammi's abduction?
Then another child is taken - directly in front of Karin and Simon, who was another of the five survivors. Luke, a teenage boy from Karin's school. Simon tried in vain to intervene and is met with brute force from the masked abductor and pushed into the path of busy traffic. So what links the past to the present? That is what Sasha endeavours to find out.
In the midst of this major investigation, Sasha's own personal life is in meltdown. Her husband is seemingly depressed and showing no interest in her or the children - he won't even talk to her, feigning tiredness. Her mother decides to leave her father and move in with them, creating chaos at home trying to create some boundaries with Sasha's children and their screentime use. Added to that, her teenage children are constantly bickering and then her daughter is accused of bullying, after telling her mother that she was the one being bullied. But to make matters worse, her usually placid husband punches the next door neighbour which is videoed by her daughter's friends and then streamed online. Can life be any more chaotic?
But juggling her private life with this troubling investigation into the abduction of two teenagers soon becomes personal for Sasha when her own daughter Angel disappears. And then all bets are off.
Told in dual timeline format, we are privy to the two weeks in the cellar of "the bad place" and what happened to the six teenagers as each snippet is unveiled gradually. The question of why didn't Becky escape with the rest of them remains forefront in everyone's mind. Who knows the truth? And what are they not saying?
The setting is around Southend in Essex (often known as Southend-on-Sea) and I find this a refreshing locale, away from the bigger cities of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle which are so often featured. The imagery of waves upon the beach and the mile-long pier - which is the longest in the world - is breathtaking. I could almost feel the salt air on my face.
What I love about THE BAD PLACE is that while it is a police procedural it also has that edge of a psychological thriller. It is fresh, it is intriguing and it is completely compelling. The chapters are short and punchy keeping you engaged throughout and, while you can put it down if need be, you won't want to. Despite the characters aplenty, it is easy to follow and identify who was who and where.
A frenetic pace was perfectly timed to keep the reader completely engaged makes THE BAD PLACE a hard book to put down. I wanted to "just read one more chapter" before bed but soon found myself finishing in the wee hours.
I look forward to catching up with Sasha Dawson and her team again soon.
An addictive crime thriller, I thoroughly recommend THE BAD PLACE to anyone who enjoys this genre.
I would like to thank #MKHill, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #TheBadPlace in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
From the outset, THE BAD PLACE by M.K. Hill appears to be an exciting new series from a new author (to me). A remarkable and enthralling plot, I was pleasantly surprised that despite its seemingly random start it turned into something so insidious I didn't want to put it down and found myself racing to the finish.
Introducing DI Sasha Dawson. Although I am not a fan of the strong ballsy female type, Sasha is different. She is strong but not bitchy; she is open-minded but fair; she is sensitive, likable and yet she is still fallible. I like Sasha, though I could throttle her kids, and her relationship with her team is a good one with each bringing their own strengths to the investigation. I hate in-house fighting and to see a team work well together is a refreshing change.
Twenty six years ago, 6 teenagers were kidnapped and held in a dank dark cellar for two weeks. Only 5 make it out alive. But it takes the abduction of three children today to discover the truth from back then. Now every year the surviving victims meet for dinner and a candlelit vigil for their lost friend, Becky, with the unspoken condition that no one talk about what happened.
But this year is different. On the way to their annual vigil, one of the survivors witnesses a young girl being abducted. However, Lydia is not a reliable witness having struggled with addiction for most of her life since their time in "the bad place". The rest of them pass it off as a fantastical delusion Lydia had obviously misconstrued, given her behaviour has always been somewhat erratic. But then the next day, a report of a 15 year old girl having gone missing rings in their minds. Maybe Lydia WAS telling the truth after all.
Enter DI Sasha Dawson of Essex Police.
Sasha is no stranger to "the bad place" case. She'd been a week into her career and was just a probationary constable when the case broke, the victims escaped and had been there at Jerry Swann's final stand. She remembered one of the girls, Karin McCarthy, and had spoken to her the night of their escape and her face had haunted Sasha since. Now 15 year old Sammi was missing and aside from Lydia witnessing the abduction which had taken place near Karin's house, there is another link to "the bad place" five. One of the other survivors, Michelle, was Sammi's godmother. Coincidence? Sasha thinks not. What is it about these five remaining survivors that holds the key to Sammi's abduction?
Then another child is taken - directly in front of Karin and Simon, who was another of the five survivors. Luke, a teenage boy from Karin's school. Simon tried in vain to intervene and is met with brute force from the masked abductor and pushed into the path of busy traffic. So what links the past to the present? That is what Sasha endeavours to find out.
In the midst of this major investigation, Sasha's own personal life is in meltdown. Her husband is seemingly depressed and showing no interest in her or the children - he won't even talk to her, feigning tiredness. Her mother decides to leave her father and move in with them, creating chaos at home trying to create some boundaries with Sasha's children and their screentime use. Added to that, her teenage children are constantly bickering and then her daughter is accused of bullying, after telling her mother that she was the one being bullied. But to make matters worse, her usually placid husband punches the next door neighbour which is videoed by her daughter's friends and then streamed online. Can life be any more chaotic?
But juggling her private life with this troubling investigation into the abduction of two teenagers soon becomes personal for Sasha when her own daughter Angel disappears. And then all bets are off.
Told in dual timeline format, we are privy to the two weeks in the cellar of "the bad place" and what happened to the six teenagers as each snippet is unveiled gradually. The question of why didn't Becky escape with the rest of them remains forefront in everyone's mind. Who knows the truth? And what are they not saying?
The setting is around Southend in Essex (often known as Southend-on-Sea) and I find this a refreshing locale, away from the bigger cities of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle which are so often featured. The imagery of waves upon the beach and the mile-long pier - which is the longest in the world - is breathtaking. I could almost feel the salt air on my face.
What I love about THE BAD PLACE is that while it is a police procedural it also has that edge of a psychological thriller. It is fresh, it is intriguing and it is completely compelling. The chapters are short and punchy keeping you engaged throughout and, while you can put it down if need be, you won't want to. Despite the characters aplenty, it is easy to follow and identify who was who and where.
A frenetic pace was perfectly timed to keep the reader completely engaged makes THE BAD PLACE a hard book to put down. I wanted to "just read one more chapter" before bed but soon found myself finishing in the wee hours.
I look forward to catching up with Sasha Dawson and her team again soon.
An addictive crime thriller, I thoroughly recommend THE BAD PLACE to anyone who enjoys this genre.
I would like to thank #MKHill, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #TheBadPlace in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
July 21, 2020
Now this was good! I look forward to more books about DI Sasha Dawson.
May 26, 2019
I’m on a really good run with books at the moment, everything I’ve picked up recently has been fantastic and The Bad Place is another excellent story to add to your must read list! Twisty, thrilling and bloody scary at times it kept me on my toes and I’m actually disappointed I finished it because it was so brilliant! I haven’t read any of Marks other books but I’ve just ordered them since I enjoyed The Bad Place so much.
Basically stop reading my review and get it ordered!
5/5
Basically stop reading my review and get it ordered!
5/5
September 7, 2019
An enjoyable start to a new detective series. In The Bad Place characters ooze with life and the primary detective on the case has her hands quite full both on the job and off.
Thoughts:
Almost seamlessly moving from detective to mother to daughter to wife, DI Sasha Dawson has a lot going on that gives you more than one story to care about and be interested in.
The main mystery of The Bad Place tells a story about 5 adults who were kidnapped when they were younger. Once a year, they meet together with the purpose of helping them heal – although they never do, especially since there were 6 who were kidnapped with one never making it out alive. Each of the surviving individuals still live with demons that haunt them 20 years later. Not a single one has recovered, even though they both try and yet don’t try to move on.
The story begins at the annual dinner when one of the attendees sees a young girl being kidnapped on her way there. The police are called, which is where we meet DI Sasha Dawson. It’s not an official kidnapping until later, but here is where we start to see the individuals and how broken they truly are.
As the main mystery is engaged, the personal life of DI Dawson is woven through-out. She is a mother of 3 children, however, one is deceased prior to the time of the story. Much to DI Dawson’s frustration, her mother has decided to live with them temporarily while at the same time her husband just isn’t acting like himself anymore and is letting his new neighbor upset him. Last, but not least, her children are young teenagers, which automatically comes with its own issues. To say there is a lot going on in her private life would be an understatement.
In this story there are a lot of characters to keep track of – between the 6 kidnap victims, new kidnap victims, the detectives, DI Dawson’s family, and witness and suspects it was at times difficult to remember everyone. At one point something occurs with a character where it was evident that we had met him before, but I couldn’t remember who it was and was too lazy to search through the beginning of the book and find out. It turns out it was one of the original kidnap victims. I suspect some readers may prefer books with fewer characters to keep track of and should be noted. I personally enjoyed it since it keep my interest up due to so much going on.
Overall, I enjoyed the series and look forward to the next mystery that DI Dawson needs to solve. Hopefully, when this occurs her family life will be less hectic, but somehow I doubt it. Recommended for those who enjoy police procedurals, mysteries, and thrillers.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
Thoughts:
Almost seamlessly moving from detective to mother to daughter to wife, DI Sasha Dawson has a lot going on that gives you more than one story to care about and be interested in.
The main mystery of The Bad Place tells a story about 5 adults who were kidnapped when they were younger. Once a year, they meet together with the purpose of helping them heal – although they never do, especially since there were 6 who were kidnapped with one never making it out alive. Each of the surviving individuals still live with demons that haunt them 20 years later. Not a single one has recovered, even though they both try and yet don’t try to move on.
The story begins at the annual dinner when one of the attendees sees a young girl being kidnapped on her way there. The police are called, which is where we meet DI Sasha Dawson. It’s not an official kidnapping until later, but here is where we start to see the individuals and how broken they truly are.
As the main mystery is engaged, the personal life of DI Dawson is woven through-out. She is a mother of 3 children, however, one is deceased prior to the time of the story. Much to DI Dawson’s frustration, her mother has decided to live with them temporarily while at the same time her husband just isn’t acting like himself anymore and is letting his new neighbor upset him. Last, but not least, her children are young teenagers, which automatically comes with its own issues. To say there is a lot going on in her private life would be an understatement.
In this story there are a lot of characters to keep track of – between the 6 kidnap victims, new kidnap victims, the detectives, DI Dawson’s family, and witness and suspects it was at times difficult to remember everyone. At one point something occurs with a character where it was evident that we had met him before, but I couldn’t remember who it was and was too lazy to search through the beginning of the book and find out. It turns out it was one of the original kidnap victims. I suspect some readers may prefer books with fewer characters to keep track of and should be noted. I personally enjoyed it since it keep my interest up due to so much going on.
Overall, I enjoyed the series and look forward to the next mystery that DI Dawson needs to solve. Hopefully, when this occurs her family life will be less hectic, but somehow I doubt it. Recommended for those who enjoy police procedurals, mysteries, and thrillers.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
August 15, 2019
This is getting exceptional reviews and the writing is quite good.
This had all the pieces to make it great and the characters were good and well developed. But, there was just so much going on with all of them! No one seemed to have their shit together. I know, it’s life and life is messy and a lot of these characters have been through some very traumatic events but at some point it became a bit ridiculous, eye rolling.
Karin’s decision on the last day they were held captive was ludicrous. I can’t imagine, regardless of her home life and how important Becky was to her, she would have done that. Michelle’s choices were also odd and didn’t make that much sense to me in that scenario. I couldn’t imagine why she even would have cared considering her earlier temperament.
I liked Sasha and her family. I don’t think she laid down any real law with her children. They were brats (and one a bully to boot). I have raised two kids and I know they can be challenging in the best of times but the way they talked to her and ran around any time of the day or night at their ages? Um, no. Kevin’s breakdown and aggression towards his neighbor was sad though Sasha dashing off in the middle of the investigation to attend to him wouldn’t happen. Her parents nonsense was unnecessary on top of all the other drama. Again, it was just too much. Not everyone had to be in crisis mode to make the story compelling.
I did want to finish this and see how things wrapped up so it’s not at all as bad as this review may read. I’m thinking that the author wanted to lay down a lot of the groundwork to flesh out the characters and this led to all of the issues that popped up. Probably could have held back a bit of the crazy for the next one in the series. I’ll probably check out the next one though and make my decision to continue after that...
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Aria Publishing for a copy in exchange for a review.
This had all the pieces to make it great and the characters were good and well developed. But, there was just so much going on with all of them! No one seemed to have their shit together. I know, it’s life and life is messy and a lot of these characters have been through some very traumatic events but at some point it became a bit ridiculous, eye rolling.
Karin’s decision on the last day they were held captive was ludicrous. I can’t imagine, regardless of her home life and how important Becky was to her, she would have done that. Michelle’s choices were also odd and didn’t make that much sense to me in that scenario. I couldn’t imagine why she even would have cared considering her earlier temperament.
I liked Sasha and her family. I don’t think she laid down any real law with her children. They were brats (and one a bully to boot). I have raised two kids and I know they can be challenging in the best of times but the way they talked to her and ran around any time of the day or night at their ages? Um, no. Kevin’s breakdown and aggression towards his neighbor was sad though Sasha dashing off in the middle of the investigation to attend to him wouldn’t happen. Her parents nonsense was unnecessary on top of all the other drama. Again, it was just too much. Not everyone had to be in crisis mode to make the story compelling.
I did want to finish this and see how things wrapped up so it’s not at all as bad as this review may read. I’m thinking that the author wanted to lay down a lot of the groundwork to flesh out the characters and this led to all of the issues that popped up. Probably could have held back a bit of the crazy for the next one in the series. I’ll probably check out the next one though and make my decision to continue after that...
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Aria Publishing for a copy in exchange for a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2019
"Twenty-six years ago, six teenagers from a local youth club were sitting in a minibus on the sea front, waiting to be taken home after a day trip. The youth worker who accompanied them jumped out of the vehicle to go to the toilet. When he returned less than five minutes later, the vehicle was gone. There was a nationwide hunt for the six: Karin, Michelle, Becky, Paul, Simon, Lydia. Six children were taken that day... But only five came back."
This book was phenomenal. It was told through the points of view of DI Sasha Dawson and Karin McCarthy, alternating between the present and what happened back at the Bad Place. This book was fast paced with such well developed characters, and an original plot line and it was also very well written. It was full of so many twists and turns that every time I caught my breath from one, bam!, I was hit with another. Everyone has something to hide and some are willing to do anything to keep those secrets hidden. I really can't wait to see what Hill does next with this series. Absolutely loved it!
I want to thank netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was phenomenal. It was told through the points of view of DI Sasha Dawson and Karin McCarthy, alternating between the present and what happened back at the Bad Place. This book was fast paced with such well developed characters, and an original plot line and it was also very well written. It was full of so many twists and turns that every time I caught my breath from one, bam!, I was hit with another. Everyone has something to hide and some are willing to do anything to keep those secrets hidden. I really can't wait to see what Hill does next with this series. Absolutely loved it!
I want to thank netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 3, 2019
The Bad Place by M.K. Hill is the first A Sasha Dawson Thriller. Twenty six years ago six children were abducted and held for two weeks on a remote farm. Unfortunately, only five of them survived. Every year the five of them get together and remember Becky who is no longer with them. This year, Lydia stumbles in late. She is shaking and states she saw a teenager get abducted. DI Sasha Dawson was a probationary officer when situation with the kids went down and she has a feeling that the new missing person’s case relates back to that event. Sasha and her team need to work quickly so they can get the teen back alive. Sasha Dawson is a realistic character who is juggling her job and her family. She has a husband and two squabbling teenagers. Then her mother leaves her husband after fifty years of marriage and moves in which causes havoc. While the kidnapping story is being investigated, the past is slowly revealed through flashbacks. Sasha and her team question the family and friends plus they chase down leads. There is action that keeps propelling the story forward and keeps the tension ramped up. I find The Bad Place to be a cross between a cozy mystery, mystery and thriller (elements of all three). There are a lot of characters (each with their own issues) and it can be hard to keep them straight in the beginning. The Bad Place is an intriguing mystery with a concerned detective, a deadly adversary, long held secrets and a victim running out of time.
August 19, 2019
6 teens are kidnapped and held captive for 2 weeks in the cellar of a remote property nicknamed in the media as "The Bad Place". 5 make it out alive and one girl is killed brutally by their captor.
Years later, the remaining 5 meet up annually for dinner to catch up and remember their friend who died. They are all mentally scarred by their ordeal and their lives are all far from ideal, and they have all taken very different turns. However, at one of their dinners, one of the girls, Lydia claims to have seen a girl abducted, bundled into a van not far from where they are having their reunion dinner. They fear the kidnapper may be back, despite it being reported that he died years earlier...
This is a great start to a new crime thriller series! It is part police procedural and part psychological thriller. The story is told in a mix of past and present and how the past can come back to haunt you.
The story itself, while not gory or gruesome, played out well with a good twist that I really didn't see coming. I loved reading about the lead detective's personal life which was fraught with the work/life balance, coupled with teenage angst! The Bad Place is an easy, quick read and I was hooked from the first page. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to the next installment. 5/5*
Years later, the remaining 5 meet up annually for dinner to catch up and remember their friend who died. They are all mentally scarred by their ordeal and their lives are all far from ideal, and they have all taken very different turns. However, at one of their dinners, one of the girls, Lydia claims to have seen a girl abducted, bundled into a van not far from where they are having their reunion dinner. They fear the kidnapper may be back, despite it being reported that he died years earlier...
This is a great start to a new crime thriller series! It is part police procedural and part psychological thriller. The story is told in a mix of past and present and how the past can come back to haunt you.
The story itself, while not gory or gruesome, played out well with a good twist that I really didn't see coming. I loved reading about the lead detective's personal life which was fraught with the work/life balance, coupled with teenage angst! The Bad Place is an easy, quick read and I was hooked from the first page. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to the next installment. 5/5*
August 13, 2019
THE BAD PLACE
BY M. K. HILL
Baden Place. The Bad Place is the given the nickname for Baden Place. Two and a half decades ago, six children were abducted and held hostage with five escaping and one killed. Every year the five adults meet as a reunion of some sorts. Lydia one of the lucky one's to escape but is a recovering drug addict and bundle of nerves witnesses little Sammie getting abducted and DCI Sasha Dawson knows that time is running out and she knows that the five who escaped know something, but what?
The more I read the more of the mystery was revealed. At first it was a bit overwhelming keeping all of the characters straight, but I was able to master it. I immediately liked DI Sasha Dawson who is well rounded and interesting. Sasha is running the investigation and she has a great family. She was what made all of the difference to keep me wanting to keep turning the pages.
Thank you to Net Galley, M. K. Hill and the Publisher for the ARC.
BY M. K. HILL
Baden Place. The Bad Place is the given the nickname for Baden Place. Two and a half decades ago, six children were abducted and held hostage with five escaping and one killed. Every year the five adults meet as a reunion of some sorts. Lydia one of the lucky one's to escape but is a recovering drug addict and bundle of nerves witnesses little Sammie getting abducted and DCI Sasha Dawson knows that time is running out and she knows that the five who escaped know something, but what?
The more I read the more of the mystery was revealed. At first it was a bit overwhelming keeping all of the characters straight, but I was able to master it. I immediately liked DI Sasha Dawson who is well rounded and interesting. Sasha is running the investigation and she has a great family. She was what made all of the difference to keep me wanting to keep turning the pages.
Thank you to Net Galley, M. K. Hill and the Publisher for the ARC.
September 24, 2019
Over twenty years ago six teenagers were abducted. Only five managed to escape & every year the five survivors meet up at Karin's to remember the one who didn't. This year though Lydia arrives in a terrible state having just seen someone being abducted. She is not the most reliable of witnesses but nevertheless they report it. Sasha was a very young PC when the group were abducted. She is haunted by telling Karin that all would be OK. Now a DI she is in charge of the investigation. As the case goes on it is clear that this case is connected to the previous one and in particular to Karin- especially when one of her pupils is abducted.
Struggling with her home problems with a stroppy teen, a mother who disapproves of how much time Sasha is at work & a husband who is obviously not his usual self she & her team throw everything into getting the children back safely.
This was a great read & a promising start to a new series. I can't wait till the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
Struggling with her home problems with a stroppy teen, a mother who disapproves of how much time Sasha is at work & a husband who is obviously not his usual self she & her team throw everything into getting the children back safely.
This was a great read & a promising start to a new series. I can't wait till the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
September 5, 2019
I was incredibly lucky to receive an ARC of 'The Bad Place' courtesy of a Head Of Zeus competition on Twitter, as this was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year.
It takes place more than 2 decades after an opportunist takes adavantage of the most unfortunate loo break EVER,hijacking a mini bus with 6 children in it. What happens next is alluded to in flashbacks to the time that they were held captive in a farm known as 'The Baden Place' (commonly known as 'The Bad Place'),alternated with the 5 survivors' tales.
Every year they meet up on the anniversary of their rescue,with 6 places set at whosever table they are at, and toast the child who never came back.
This year, however, the 5 are plunged into a nightmare of epic proportions as one of them witnesses a young girl being dragged off into a van on their way to the meeting place....
The investigation into firstly, whether there was a missing girl and secondly, what is her link to the 5 survivors, is run by Detective Sasha Dawson, whose first case on the force as a young PC was, you guessed it, 'The Bad Place' kindappings.
As she tracks down the truth in what is happening today, niggles start to appear about the original investigation-the kidnapped girl, this time, has more than one link to the original kidnapping, and then, another teen goes missing...
Skillfully weaving past and present, Mark does a great job of getting us to care about resolving what happened in the past and how the consequences have led to this present situation. He shows the lifelong effects of childhood trauma-what I found interesting was that the survivors were so unlikable. They were all trapped int his hell of being notorious because of something that happened to them, and they were never allowed to forget it. Even worse, the consequences for others were all linked to this one original act by a desperate person, failed by society and killed at the scene of his crime.
In contrast, the police woman who became DI Dawson, has not had an easy climb to the top-it would be easy to say she threw herself into her work and neglected her family because, as you know 'women cannot have it all' and this is getting as tired a trope as the detective one day before retirement being handed a serial killer case, or the one with addiction issues. It could have been a sexist stereotype-woman, know your place!if you are not home your husband will wander and your children will grow up feral!-however, this is absolutely not the case with Sasha.
I don't want to spoil it for any reader, what I will say is that Sasha's family has been thrown into disarray by tragedy, and as a result, she is coping as best she can by throwing herself into her work, whilst her husband and teen children are coping in their own, self destructive ways. It takes an unwelcome visitor who quickly outstays their welcome to show Sasha that she not only needs to stop and look at what is going on around her, but she also needs to be kinder to herself because she has not dealt with her trauma . She has soldiered on, tackling her home life as she does her job because she has been so badly hurt and that is not a sexist trope, it is how a human tries to cope with the unimaginable. When things happen which are completely outside of your control, you tighten the reins on the things that you can.
Mark has a fantastic ear for dialogue, the zippy retorts and put downs from Sasha to her family, her team,the way Sasha's mother talks and especially the teens in the present and the past, all flow very naturally and as a mother of teens I could completely relate to her.
I really took to Sasha and her forthright, no nonsense investigative techniques as she tries to remember what happened 25 years earlier as a young police officer and tries to apply all those years of knowledge to the present day kindappings-she is absolutely prepared to turn over every rock to find what went wrong the first time round, to put things right in the present, she has to tackle what happened in the past and that means pulling down the social construct that has arisen around the urban legend which is 'The Bad Place'. In getting rid of the fear and superstition around it, only then can the truth come to light.
A cracking series opener, I am very much looking forward to reading Book 2 in the series!
It takes place more than 2 decades after an opportunist takes adavantage of the most unfortunate loo break EVER,hijacking a mini bus with 6 children in it. What happens next is alluded to in flashbacks to the time that they were held captive in a farm known as 'The Baden Place' (commonly known as 'The Bad Place'),alternated with the 5 survivors' tales.
Every year they meet up on the anniversary of their rescue,with 6 places set at whosever table they are at, and toast the child who never came back.
This year, however, the 5 are plunged into a nightmare of epic proportions as one of them witnesses a young girl being dragged off into a van on their way to the meeting place....
The investigation into firstly, whether there was a missing girl and secondly, what is her link to the 5 survivors, is run by Detective Sasha Dawson, whose first case on the force as a young PC was, you guessed it, 'The Bad Place' kindappings.
As she tracks down the truth in what is happening today, niggles start to appear about the original investigation-the kidnapped girl, this time, has more than one link to the original kidnapping, and then, another teen goes missing...
Skillfully weaving past and present, Mark does a great job of getting us to care about resolving what happened in the past and how the consequences have led to this present situation. He shows the lifelong effects of childhood trauma-what I found interesting was that the survivors were so unlikable. They were all trapped int his hell of being notorious because of something that happened to them, and they were never allowed to forget it. Even worse, the consequences for others were all linked to this one original act by a desperate person, failed by society and killed at the scene of his crime.
In contrast, the police woman who became DI Dawson, has not had an easy climb to the top-it would be easy to say she threw herself into her work and neglected her family because, as you know 'women cannot have it all' and this is getting as tired a trope as the detective one day before retirement being handed a serial killer case, or the one with addiction issues. It could have been a sexist stereotype-woman, know your place!if you are not home your husband will wander and your children will grow up feral!-however, this is absolutely not the case with Sasha.
I don't want to spoil it for any reader, what I will say is that Sasha's family has been thrown into disarray by tragedy, and as a result, she is coping as best she can by throwing herself into her work, whilst her husband and teen children are coping in their own, self destructive ways. It takes an unwelcome visitor who quickly outstays their welcome to show Sasha that she not only needs to stop and look at what is going on around her, but she also needs to be kinder to herself because she has not dealt with her trauma . She has soldiered on, tackling her home life as she does her job because she has been so badly hurt and that is not a sexist trope, it is how a human tries to cope with the unimaginable. When things happen which are completely outside of your control, you tighten the reins on the things that you can.
Mark has a fantastic ear for dialogue, the zippy retorts and put downs from Sasha to her family, her team,the way Sasha's mother talks and especially the teens in the present and the past, all flow very naturally and as a mother of teens I could completely relate to her.
I really took to Sasha and her forthright, no nonsense investigative techniques as she tries to remember what happened 25 years earlier as a young police officer and tries to apply all those years of knowledge to the present day kindappings-she is absolutely prepared to turn over every rock to find what went wrong the first time round, to put things right in the present, she has to tackle what happened in the past and that means pulling down the social construct that has arisen around the urban legend which is 'The Bad Place'. In getting rid of the fear and superstition around it, only then can the truth come to light.
A cracking series opener, I am very much looking forward to reading Book 2 in the series!
September 1, 2019
Twenty years ago, six children were kidnapped and held captive on a remote farm. Only five got out alive. Present days, they all catch up as adults, annually. But at the catch up one of the people witness an abduction and they fear it is all starting over again. Except the initial captor died, so the hunt begins for who this person may be.
This was a police procedural and a who done it. I usual avoid all topics involving children being harmed, but this one was more about the adults that now remain. That said, this won't be for everyone. Personally, I loved the police procedural and investigative side and I do recommend this one.
Thank you to Head of Zeus, NetGalley and M.K Hill for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
This was a police procedural and a who done it. I usual avoid all topics involving children being harmed, but this one was more about the adults that now remain. That said, this won't be for everyone. Personally, I loved the police procedural and investigative side and I do recommend this one.
Thank you to Head of Zeus, NetGalley and M.K Hill for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 6, 2019
This was the first time reading a book by M.K. Hill, and it will not be my last. I am hope this is start of a series. The story starts with a heartbreaking scene which pulls you in and never lets up the entire book. The story plot was gripping and the characters are so beautifully flawed, you can't helped feel for them. How people survive difficult circumstances can change people in ways you can never be able to understand. It was addictive crime thriller, and I was most shocked in the last few chapters. Great summer reading!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
#netgalley
#thebadplace
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
#netgalley
#thebadplace
September 10, 2019
An interesting new crime series set in Southend on Sea. Why this works particularly well is that the landscape, wetlands and association with this place as a seaside town of family fun…has now been transformed into a bad place…..
It’s where children go missing and where 20 years later, the survivors meet to hold a vigil for their one friend who didn’t escape. But is this story as straight forward as it might be? Who are these youngsters, now adults and what secrets do they hide?
DCI Sasha Dawson is on the case but she has just as many issues as the victims themselves. She’s the one to tell the story together with Karin, one of those who disappeared.
It’s a twisty tale of kidnap, secrets and more secrets piled on top of each other. A dogged detective with complex family issues and an overall net of intrigue to grab you and drag you in to the Bad Place yourself.
August 14, 2019
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliant book
6 children are on a days outing and being driven back to their club when they are abducted and held for 14 days in a cellar....
5 make it out and one is killed....
years later this case comes back to haunt them all... in many different ways...
another girl is abducted and one of the original abductees witnesses it...some strange things start to happen to them all...
but will it all be resolved before anything else happens and then another child is abducted...
brilliant first book in a new series and i for one will be keeping a look out for more from this author
6 children are on a days outing and being driven back to their club when they are abducted and held for 14 days in a cellar....
5 make it out and one is killed....
years later this case comes back to haunt them all... in many different ways...
another girl is abducted and one of the original abductees witnesses it...some strange things start to happen to them all...
but will it all be resolved before anything else happens and then another child is abducted...
brilliant first book in a new series and i for one will be keeping a look out for more from this author
September 5, 2019
The Bad Place – A great way to start a new series
There is some fantastic crime writing about today and M.K. Hill is adding to the cannon with this fantastic thriller while introducing a new detective to the crime thriller world. What makes this so good is that Hill’s writing is so good, that it makes it a pure pleasure to read, and before you know it you are halfway through the book.
Twenty years ago, six children were taken but only five came back, but it takes the abduction of three children today to find out the truth from back then. The place where the original six where held hostage became known as The Bad Place, and annually the surviving victims meet to have a vigil and a meal together.
When a young girl is kidnapped in front of one of the victims, DI Sasha Dawson of Essex Police are put in charge of the case. Ironic in that twenty years Dawson who had been a week into her career as a Police Officer when the original case broke and had been at The Bad Place. Dawson is sure that the key to finding Sammi the kidnapped girl is finding out the truth about the night, the kids had escaped and one of their number had been killed.
While trying to run a major case, Dawson’s own family is in melt down, her husband seems to be depressed and not speaking to her or their children. Her mother decides to leave her father and move in with them. To top it all her mother is accused of bullying and her husband punches the next door neighbour, which is streamed online.
As the case twenty years earlier starts to clash with her current case and another child goes missing, Dawson knows she has to solve this once and for all. Recognising that it is a race against time her and the team around her leave no stone unturned and no question unanswered.
This really is a fantastic book, with a great new hero, who shows that she is human. It will be great to see how Sasha Dawson will develop in the future, and the cases come before her in Essex.
There is some fantastic crime writing about today and M.K. Hill is adding to the cannon with this fantastic thriller while introducing a new detective to the crime thriller world. What makes this so good is that Hill’s writing is so good, that it makes it a pure pleasure to read, and before you know it you are halfway through the book.
Twenty years ago, six children were taken but only five came back, but it takes the abduction of three children today to find out the truth from back then. The place where the original six where held hostage became known as The Bad Place, and annually the surviving victims meet to have a vigil and a meal together.
When a young girl is kidnapped in front of one of the victims, DI Sasha Dawson of Essex Police are put in charge of the case. Ironic in that twenty years Dawson who had been a week into her career as a Police Officer when the original case broke and had been at The Bad Place. Dawson is sure that the key to finding Sammi the kidnapped girl is finding out the truth about the night, the kids had escaped and one of their number had been killed.
While trying to run a major case, Dawson’s own family is in melt down, her husband seems to be depressed and not speaking to her or their children. Her mother decides to leave her father and move in with them. To top it all her mother is accused of bullying and her husband punches the next door neighbour, which is streamed online.
As the case twenty years earlier starts to clash with her current case and another child goes missing, Dawson knows she has to solve this once and for all. Recognising that it is a race against time her and the team around her leave no stone unturned and no question unanswered.
This really is a fantastic book, with a great new hero, who shows that she is human. It will be great to see how Sasha Dawson will develop in the future, and the cases come before her in Essex.
June 16, 2019
However much I really enjoyed this book, some of the language from the characters was absolutely awful. Using the word ‘innit’ from a police officer just made me cringe. The storyline itself was something I couldn’t fault; it was gripping, thrilling, mind-ogling and intense. Everything you need in this genre. But the language was just bad and shouldn’t have been used.
The characters were quite the mix! Sasha, a mother in complete turmoil and with no control of her family, a police officer who’s actually nice to work with (her seniority over her team didn’t matter, she treated everyone the same... except when she had a massive go at Lolly and Craig.. bit OTT) and she’s loyal to fault. Near the end she was brave, courageous and stupid. But the ending was great, the author knows how to get readers on to the edge of their seats, biting their nails. He knows how to keep a reader form putting down their devices. You really can’t fault the writing in the storyline.
I thought Craig Powers was a little bit of an... yeah. I though he was rather pig-headed and arrogant and definitely not a team player.
Karin, Lydia, Paul, Simon and Michelle - the Bad Place kids. They all had their quirks and their faults but they made for interesting and intriguing characters. I guessed who/what happened with Lydia straight away. It was made rather obvious which was a disappointment.
The story was interesting and intriguing and definitely intense. It’s one you’ll struggle to put down, one you’ll say ‘just one more chapter’ and ends up being six more. It’s definitely worth picking up and indulging in the words. They’re very descriptive and in places evasive. But it was fantastic and fabulous. I honestly couldn’t praise this book enough. Unfortunately, due to the way the author wrote how officers talked drove me insane and I had to knock off a star.. but that’s the only reason. The story itself is worth it.
The author is new to me and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about Sasha Dawson and her crazy life.
The characters were quite the mix! Sasha, a mother in complete turmoil and with no control of her family, a police officer who’s actually nice to work with (her seniority over her team didn’t matter, she treated everyone the same... except when she had a massive go at Lolly and Craig.. bit OTT) and she’s loyal to fault. Near the end she was brave, courageous and stupid. But the ending was great, the author knows how to get readers on to the edge of their seats, biting their nails. He knows how to keep a reader form putting down their devices. You really can’t fault the writing in the storyline.
I thought Craig Powers was a little bit of an... yeah. I though he was rather pig-headed and arrogant and definitely not a team player.
Karin, Lydia, Paul, Simon and Michelle - the Bad Place kids. They all had their quirks and their faults but they made for interesting and intriguing characters. I guessed who/what happened with Lydia straight away. It was made rather obvious which was a disappointment.
The story was interesting and intriguing and definitely intense. It’s one you’ll struggle to put down, one you’ll say ‘just one more chapter’ and ends up being six more. It’s definitely worth picking up and indulging in the words. They’re very descriptive and in places evasive. But it was fantastic and fabulous. I honestly couldn’t praise this book enough. Unfortunately, due to the way the author wrote how officers talked drove me insane and I had to knock off a star.. but that’s the only reason. The story itself is worth it.
The author is new to me and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about Sasha Dawson and her crazy life.
September 16, 2019
26 years ago, 6 children were abducted after a day tip with their youth club, held hostage in a basement for over two weeks when 5 of them escaped alive, the one left behind murdered brutally by their captor. Every year now the survivors of “The Bad Place” as nicknamed by the tabloids hold a candlelight dinner to remember their friend Becky who died.
Lydia, one of the survivors arrives to the dinner spouting that she just saw a young girl being dragged into a van, she is distraught, could something be happening again, surely not as their captor, Jerry Swan was killed that night.
In comes DI Sasha Dawson, she is convinced that the missing girls and the Bad Place have to be linked, but can she figure it out in time before more teenagers are abducted?
I enjoyed this book, a quick read but for the only reason, it was a case of I need to know WTF is going on…. The story is told twofold, past and present so we are told what happened when the teenagers were held captive and the now during the investigation into the new case. It seems karma is catching up with some of the survivors but why, what exactly happened at the Bad Place?
A gripping read with twists and turns thrown in to keep you guessing…. A great start to a detective series (or at least I’m hoping its just the first of many), this is one of my favourite genres and will be certainly keeping a look out for more from M.K. Hill and DI Sasha Dawson.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Lydia, one of the survivors arrives to the dinner spouting that she just saw a young girl being dragged into a van, she is distraught, could something be happening again, surely not as their captor, Jerry Swan was killed that night.
In comes DI Sasha Dawson, she is convinced that the missing girls and the Bad Place have to be linked, but can she figure it out in time before more teenagers are abducted?
I enjoyed this book, a quick read but for the only reason, it was a case of I need to know WTF is going on…. The story is told twofold, past and present so we are told what happened when the teenagers were held captive and the now during the investigation into the new case. It seems karma is catching up with some of the survivors but why, what exactly happened at the Bad Place?
A gripping read with twists and turns thrown in to keep you guessing…. A great start to a detective series (or at least I’m hoping its just the first of many), this is one of my favourite genres and will be certainly keeping a look out for more from M.K. Hill and DI Sasha Dawson.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 29, 2019
20 years ago, 6 kids were kidnapped and only 5 rescued. Every year they met up for their annual candlelit vigil fir their lost friend Becky, with a condition that none could talk about the past. This year too, they met and one of them witnessed a girl Sammi bring kidnapped. Detective Sasha led the investigation and she had a fine tangled mess to unweave, both from the past and the present.
My first book by author M. K. Hill, I was quite pleasantly surprised that even when it started insidiously, it managed to grip me with its plot. I turned the pages almost feverishly wanting to get to the real truth and what the 5 were hiding.
Told in dual time frames, it gave the feel of never been told, and the author's writing gave it a freshness with the suspense growing till it was the driving force which kept me hooked to the book. The twists and turns were wicked in its onslaught, filling me with unholy glee and excitement that only a well written thriller could only bring.
The group dynamic was cleverly portrayed, the Detective kept the story from slacking. The characters aplenty took me time to get them straightened out in my mind. I needed a book to take me away from real life, and this did the trick. A good innovative story, I would say!!
My first book by author M. K. Hill, I was quite pleasantly surprised that even when it started insidiously, it managed to grip me with its plot. I turned the pages almost feverishly wanting to get to the real truth and what the 5 were hiding.
Told in dual time frames, it gave the feel of never been told, and the author's writing gave it a freshness with the suspense growing till it was the driving force which kept me hooked to the book. The twists and turns were wicked in its onslaught, filling me with unholy glee and excitement that only a well written thriller could only bring.
The group dynamic was cleverly portrayed, the Detective kept the story from slacking. The characters aplenty took me time to get them straightened out in my mind. I needed a book to take me away from real life, and this did the trick. A good innovative story, I would say!!
August 23, 2020
The Bad Place by M.K. Hill follows Detective Inspector Sasha Dawson as she investigates an abducted teenager in what seems to be related to an incident twenty-six years ago.
Twenty-six years ago, a man entered a driverless van with six teenagers on board and abducted the teenagers, holding them in a basement for two weeks. Five of the teens were able to escape with questions remaining just what happened when police arrived where the teens were held ending in tragic results for the last teen, the suspect, and responding detective.
Ever since the original incident, the remaining five people, now adults, meet once a year to memorialize the teenager that did not escape, with the most unreliable of the five witnessing the new abduction.
Being suspicious with the group of five and with each of them seemingly hiding secrets, Sasha Dawson must determine if somehow the previous abductions are related to the most recent one.
For this reader, The Bad Place started out slow but did become more compelling with continued reading. While this was not this reader's favorite M.K. Hill novel, his novels, stories, and characters are engaging enough to continue to follow in future novels.
Twenty-six years ago, a man entered a driverless van with six teenagers on board and abducted the teenagers, holding them in a basement for two weeks. Five of the teens were able to escape with questions remaining just what happened when police arrived where the teens were held ending in tragic results for the last teen, the suspect, and responding detective.
Ever since the original incident, the remaining five people, now adults, meet once a year to memorialize the teenager that did not escape, with the most unreliable of the five witnessing the new abduction.
Being suspicious with the group of five and with each of them seemingly hiding secrets, Sasha Dawson must determine if somehow the previous abductions are related to the most recent one.
For this reader, The Bad Place started out slow but did become more compelling with continued reading. While this was not this reader's favorite M.K. Hill novel, his novels, stories, and characters are engaging enough to continue to follow in future novels.
November 6, 2019
Quite enjoyed this.
25 years ago 6 children were kidnapped. 5 escaped but 1 did not.
In the here and now somebody is taking children and it all seems to link back to those 5 survivors... it seems someone has a secret.
As police procedurals go this was one of the better ones. The team doing the investigation work well on the page and, for a change, don't all come with hang-ups and problems.
This is a series I will certainly be keeping an eye on
25 years ago 6 children were kidnapped. 5 escaped but 1 did not.
In the here and now somebody is taking children and it all seems to link back to those 5 survivors... it seems someone has a secret.
As police procedurals go this was one of the better ones. The team doing the investigation work well on the page and, for a change, don't all come with hang-ups and problems.
This is a series I will certainly be keeping an eye on
September 29, 2020
Full of twists
October 10, 2021
I read it but not sure I would read another. Thought it was a bit slow.
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