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DI Sarah Quinn #1
A Question of Despair
They heard the mother before they saw her. Two streets away, through the open window of an unmarked police car, and they could hear the screams.
HER BABY IS SNATCHED OFF THE STREET.
When a child goes missing, every minute’s precious. When a baby’s taken, every second counts.
Detective Sarah Quinn is called in.
Baby Evie’s mother is in pieces. But then she seems unwilling to help. What isn’t she telling them?
Time is running out to find Evie alive.
TWO WOMEN ON THE CASE
Ruthless TV journalist Caroline King is a thorn in the side of career cop DI Sarah Quinn. Caroline’s emotional and impulsive. Sarah’s known at work as the Ice Queen.
WILL SPARKS FLY? CAN THE THIN BLUE LINE HOLD?
The investigation reaches a dead end. The clock is ticking. The two enemies must work together to get baby Evie back alive.
HER BABY IS SNATCHED OFF THE STREET.
When a child goes missing, every minute’s precious. When a baby’s taken, every second counts.
Detective Sarah Quinn is called in.
Baby Evie’s mother is in pieces. But then she seems unwilling to help. What isn’t she telling them?
Time is running out to find Evie alive.
TWO WOMEN ON THE CASE
Ruthless TV journalist Caroline King is a thorn in the side of career cop DI Sarah Quinn. Caroline’s emotional and impulsive. Sarah’s known at work as the Ice Queen.
WILL SPARKS FLY? CAN THE THIN BLUE LINE HOLD?
The investigation reaches a dead end. The clock is ticking. The two enemies must work together to get baby Evie back alive.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2011
452 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Carter
37 books27 followersFormer BBC Newsnight presenter Maureen has worked extensively in newspapers, radio and television. She still freelances in the business, when she's not busy novel writing. As a journalist she's worked closely with the police, covering countless crime stories, including several murders. She's also interviewed victims and seen villains sent down.
Maureen was inspired to write Working Girls by a police pilot scheme to treat younger prostitutes as victims rather than criminals.
"It set me thinking about women on the game," she says. "What made a girl risk her health, and her life, night after night? What, if any, choice did she have? I wondered: could I combine appealing characters from this largely ignored section of society with a measure of social comment and produce an engaging and entertaining crime novel?"
Maureen was inspired to write Working Girls by a police pilot scheme to treat younger prostitutes as victims rather than criminals.
"It set me thinking about women on the game," she says. "What made a girl risk her health, and her life, night after night? What, if any, choice did she have? I wondered: could I combine appealing characters from this largely ignored section of society with a measure of social comment and produce an engaging and entertaining crime novel?"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 31, 2022
When DI Sarah Quinn was called to the case of a missing baby, she knew the clock was ticking. The mother, teenager Karen, was hysterical and didn’t have a lot to say. She took an immediate dislike to Sarah and Sarah knew Karen was keeping things to herself. As Sarah and her team interviewed, knocked on doors and did everything possible to get answers, another woman was on the case. But this was a freelance reporter who Sarah had had run-ins with before. Caroline King wasn’t afraid to state her case to the press, whether it was true or not.
Would they find Evie alive? When another baby disappeared, Sarah was desperate. Could she come up with the answers before it was too late? Her suspicions had no proof, her boss was on her back, and they had a mole in the force. Everything was against her…
A Question of Despair is the 1st in the DI Sarah Quinn series by Maureen Carter, and it had plenty of twists to keep the team busy. Sarah wasn’t particularly likeable, and neither were the rest of them. I don’t think I’ll bother with any more of the series.
Would they find Evie alive? When another baby disappeared, Sarah was desperate. Could she come up with the answers before it was too late? Her suspicions had no proof, her boss was on her back, and they had a mole in the force. Everything was against her…
A Question of Despair is the 1st in the DI Sarah Quinn series by Maureen Carter, and it had plenty of twists to keep the team busy. Sarah wasn’t particularly likeable, and neither were the rest of them. I don’t think I’ll bother with any more of the series.
January 25, 2021
A Question of Despair
D.I Sarah Quinn is called in when Karen Lowe's baby daughter Evie goes missing from out a newsagents.
This is an absolutely brilliant read. Maureen Carter has written a book that is impossible to put down. All the characters are well developed and the story so many twists it's hard to know who is telling the truth and who is lying.
Highly recommended
D.I Sarah Quinn is called in when Karen Lowe's baby daughter Evie goes missing from out a newsagents.
This is an absolutely brilliant read. Maureen Carter has written a book that is impossible to put down. All the characters are well developed and the story so many twists it's hard to know who is telling the truth and who is lying.
Highly recommended
August 6, 2022
One dimensional characters, who only seem to be able express emotion in any one way by 'curling a lip'. I have no idea what that means, but it seems to occur roughly every other page. The main character is also not in the least bit icy, although she was apparently nicknamed the Ice Queen, in fact she was hot headed if anything. I'm not even touching the only 2 officers that got nicknames by adding an 'ie' at the end, despite the fact they barely appeared in the story.
As a woman that works in a very male dominated industry, and even manages a good sized team of men, I found it somewhat incredulous that our main character spent the majority of her time eyeing up her subordinates with a view to getting them into bed, and the habit her actual boyfriend had of calling her 'lady' was just irritating.
Then there was the journalist, who also seemed to sleep her way into getting what she wanted. I guess this is the only way the author found to get on in life?
In terms of the setting, you'd never have been able to tell it was set in Birmingham as there wasn't a single colloquialism or phrase to indicate any of the characters lived there. It's been 20-odd years since I last lived in the West Midlands, but I'm pretty sure they haven't entirely taken up speaking the Queen's English in the meantime.
As a woman that works in a very male dominated industry, and even manages a good sized team of men, I found it somewhat incredulous that our main character spent the majority of her time eyeing up her subordinates with a view to getting them into bed, and the habit her actual boyfriend had of calling her 'lady' was just irritating.
Then there was the journalist, who also seemed to sleep her way into getting what she wanted. I guess this is the only way the author found to get on in life?
In terms of the setting, you'd never have been able to tell it was set in Birmingham as there wasn't a single colloquialism or phrase to indicate any of the characters lived there. It's been 20-odd years since I last lived in the West Midlands, but I'm pretty sure they haven't entirely taken up speaking the Queen's English in the meantime.
August 6, 2017
Derivative, badly-written tosh. The narration is plodding, condescending and cliche-ridden and has the irritating sexist habit of referring to men by their surnames and women by their first names. The characters are shallow and the dialogue trite; the police banter in particular is excruciatingly unfunny. The plot has the bones of something interesting, if hardly original, but is fatally undercut by the bad writing, characterisation and on occasion a lack of credibility. A crucial witness suffers what turns out to be a coincidental accident before the police can speak to her. The main subplot is wrapped up by means of an equally ridiculous coincidence, whilst another is simply declared solved by authorial fiat - the main character has no evidence whatsoever for her conclusion. Add in a generous dose of fat hatred and this is all the more one to avoid.
August 20, 2013
The first of the Sarah Quinn mysteries and the first one that I've read. Does Sarah stand up as the brilliant character Bev Morriss? It would be unfair to make any judgement after reading one book, however, I can say that I enjoyed the read, as ever Maureen Carter has put together a moving and brilliant plot, one that leaves the reader using only guesswork until the final chapter. Maybe I was so enthralled to be reading another Maureen Carter novel, or maybe the book is shorter than Maureen's previous books, the time flew so fast. I've already got the next in the series lined up and will report back once I've finished that.
August 22, 2022
2.5 stars rounded down.
Pretty mediocre read, unable to fully get into the mystery and sorry to say, but none of the character is likeable. Writing style isn’t captivating enough for me, sentence structure feels too one dimensional, conversation lines also feel weak to me - like I’m not sure if people really speak like that in real life.
Pretty mediocre read, unable to fully get into the mystery and sorry to say, but none of the character is likeable. Writing style isn’t captivating enough for me, sentence structure feels too one dimensional, conversation lines also feel weak to me - like I’m not sure if people really speak like that in real life.
June 28, 2015
Strong characters, cleve plotting and good pacing make palatable this dark police procedural depicting child abduction and murder.
July 25, 2021
A damnd good book
Wow, a really good book I only picked it up at 3am to read for half hour. Here I am just finished, what a tangle of twist and turn. I loved Sara and kings ansty towards each other. With Harris stuck in such a awkward situation. The storyline was good but sad, it’s one that really grips you and want retribution. I didn’t see it coming until I was almost on top of it. It the first book I have read by this author and will not be the last. I see she’s written more about With Sarah as the lead. I hope it’s got some of the same characters in the others. As a actually team it worked and it worked well. The book as a good deal of police procedure without going over the top. A reporter and police offers who are ansty. Another one stuck in the middle. I will not say too much on that as I don’t want to spoil the story. Then we have a young girl who’s baby as been kidnapped. Makes a good mixture for me. It felt like I was transported into the book on the sidelines watching things unfold, the tangled web of twist. Was brilliant. It’s how anyone who reads should feel as if they are there. That is the art of the author and I can definitely say without a doubt this author as a new fan
Wow, a really good book I only picked it up at 3am to read for half hour. Here I am just finished, what a tangle of twist and turn. I loved Sara and kings ansty towards each other. With Harris stuck in such a awkward situation. The storyline was good but sad, it’s one that really grips you and want retribution. I didn’t see it coming until I was almost on top of it. It the first book I have read by this author and will not be the last. I see she’s written more about With Sarah as the lead. I hope it’s got some of the same characters in the others. As a actually team it worked and it worked well. The book as a good deal of police procedure without going over the top. A reporter and police offers who are ansty. Another one stuck in the middle. I will not say too much on that as I don’t want to spoil the story. Then we have a young girl who’s baby as been kidnapped. Makes a good mixture for me. It felt like I was transported into the book on the sidelines watching things unfold, the tangled web of twist. Was brilliant. It’s how anyone who reads should feel as if they are there. That is the art of the author and I can definitely say without a doubt this author as a new fan
August 21, 2022
This is one of four books I have by Maureen Carter and her Detective Inspector Quinn, which is set in Birmingham, a place I know well. The book starts off with a young girl screaming outside a shop that her baby and buggy have gone. Sarah Quinn arrives and finds the mother's attitude a little bit suspicious. Karen Lowe is the mother and her baby's name is Evie, no known father according to the mother. The police find Karen obstructive which is odd for a grieving mother and her attitude towards them is very antagonistic. Then a very short time after another small baby is taken from her cot from a very happily married couple who had found it difficult to conceive. This baby was taken at night when her father was away working and her mother was sleeping, the mother had left the windows and the french windows open because it was hot. Oh really, as if, unless you live in a gated guarded apartment block or house who these days would leave their downstairs doors open throughout the night, hmm?
So now DI Sarah Quinn has two missing babies, and then two dead babies. The case seems to be stagnating and it doesn't help that there is a conniving reporter with a past with Quinn who is snooping around and giving reporters a very bad name. I really didn't like Sarah Quinn, she was bombastic, aggressive, picking bones with everyone, it is a great pity that I have another 3 books to wade through. Let's see how I like them then.
So now DI Sarah Quinn has two missing babies, and then two dead babies. The case seems to be stagnating and it doesn't help that there is a conniving reporter with a past with Quinn who is snooping around and giving reporters a very bad name. I really didn't like Sarah Quinn, she was bombastic, aggressive, picking bones with everyone, it is a great pity that I have another 3 books to wade through. Let's see how I like them then.
February 15, 2025
A baby is snatched from outside a Birmingham newsagents and DI Sarah Quinn is called in to investigate. Reporter Caroline King covers the case and will stop at nothing to get the story.
My Thoughts:
I saw a report on our local news about some sort of a writing group and Maureen Carter was on there. I had never heard of her but the report said that she had wrote 12 books so I went to my local library to get one to try. The cover appealed to me and I thought she looked like an author similar to Martina Cole.
On a positive I liked the idea of two women who clash and don’t really like each other and the reader will find out why. I’m afraid that is it with positive. The rest of the book I felt was bland, not realistic at times and for the content needed to be a lot more gritty. The story was average and could have been better with a weak ending.
I’m afraid that there wasn’t enough in this book for me to rush out and get the next one in the series. Overall good ideas but weak.
My Thoughts:
I saw a report on our local news about some sort of a writing group and Maureen Carter was on there. I had never heard of her but the report said that she had wrote 12 books so I went to my local library to get one to try. The cover appealed to me and I thought she looked like an author similar to Martina Cole.
On a positive I liked the idea of two women who clash and don’t really like each other and the reader will find out why. I’m afraid that is it with positive. The rest of the book I felt was bland, not realistic at times and for the content needed to be a lot more gritty. The story was average and could have been better with a weak ending.
I’m afraid that there wasn’t enough in this book for me to rush out and get the next one in the series. Overall good ideas but weak.
February 6, 2025
A Question of Despair – First in the Sarah Quinn Series – Published 2011 - *** - Sarah Quinn, DI in England, deals with the kidnapping of a baby. Good police procedural, dialogue, pace. The antagonistic tension between Quinn and a reporter is almost too much and distracts from the overall book. Quinn isn’t lovable but is a determined detective. A good series in the making. A little less of sizing up possible bed partners would make a better read.
July 28, 2021
I have read several of the Sarah Quinn mysteries and they never fail to entertain. I love the characters and the writing all around. Once I read this one I was hooked and read all the series in a binge. Only downfall to that is the rehashing of the back story in each novel. Sort of like binging a show though, lol.
January 27, 2021
New series
This book had a lot of potential. The story was interesting. I wanted to like the characters. The arguments the characters had with themselves was annoying. And they did it all the time! I might try another book to see if they get better.
This book had a lot of potential. The story was interesting. I wanted to like the characters. The arguments the characters had with themselves was annoying. And they did it all the time! I might try another book to see if they get better.
March 23, 2021
Highly recommend my first from this author and it most definitely won’t be the last.
Loved this book, thrilled to know I can catch up with Sarah Quinn and what’s next for her, even if I think she’s hard faced
Loved this book, thrilled to know I can catch up with Sarah Quinn and what’s next for her, even if I think she’s hard faced
May 20, 2021
Bit of plod to start with. I am getting tired of women detectives and I
'ice queens" . The story had some interesting twists. The journalist was very tiresome and I would prefer less of her. Probably won't read more.
'ice queens" . The story had some interesting twists. The journalist was very tiresome and I would prefer less of her. Probably won't read more.
May 2, 2022
A really gritty and moving storyline but felt it was somewhat let down by all the analogies peppered throughout it - they aren't needed and seem to overcomplicate things. Other than that, onto the second in the series!
June 4, 2023
A Question of Despair, a Di Sarah Quinn mystery b.k 1
Àn interesting read that kept you guessing at times to where it was all leading too. Quite a few twists along the way, but a good conclusion at the end. Definitely recommend to friends.
Àn interesting read that kept you guessing at times to where it was all leading too. Quite a few twists along the way, but a good conclusion at the end. Definitely recommend to friends.
June 15, 2023
A cast of unlovable characters, terrible dialogue, and a not very interesting concept. I barely managed to finish it, with skimming, and I'm sure I won't be looking for any more in this series.
Rating 1.6.
Rating 1.6.
November 22, 2024
A Question of Despair
A very good crime thriller. Various people come into the plot, but nothing sticks. After much back and forth it becomes evident who is the killer. Very interesting.
A very good crime thriller. Various people come into the plot, but nothing sticks. After much back and forth it becomes evident who is the killer. Very interesting.
January 23, 2021
A heart breaking story.
This is a brilliant read, it is emotional and brilliantly written. The story gets you gripped from the beginning and twists and turns all the way through.
This is a brilliant read, it is emotional and brilliantly written. The story gets you gripped from the beginning and twists and turns all the way through.
January 26, 2021
Good read
Enjoyed this book and it’s characters. The story left me guessing who was responsible. I hope to read other books by the same author
Enjoyed this book and it’s characters. The story left me guessing who was responsible. I hope to read other books by the same author
March 10, 2021
Loved it!
Great read for me!
,only took a few days to read,plenty of twists .
I'm looking forward to seeing where it finished off takes us
Great read for me!
,only took a few days to read,plenty of twists .
I'm looking forward to seeing where it finished off takes us
April 16, 2021
This was a well-written, well-plotted novel although I found it disturbing because of the content. Readers need to be comfortable with story lines related to child abduction.
April 20, 2021
Excellent book
This book was so sad and interesting too. How could anyone kill babies. I kept reading even though I wanted to stop. Great ending.👍🏻
This book was so sad and interesting too. How could anyone kill babies. I kept reading even though I wanted to stop. Great ending.👍🏻
Read
April 29, 2021Good plot/Poor editing
Yes, the plot had a lot of twists and turns that kept you reading. However, the grammatical errors were numerous. Also the author kept sw
Yes, the plot had a lot of twists and turns that kept you reading. However, the grammatical errors were numerous. Also the author kept sw
May 7, 2021
Have found a new favourite author! A really engrossing story and the 'perp' was totally unexpected. A really good insight into human nature.
June 11, 2021
Good story
I normally buy one book a month by an author I have not read before and this was one. It was a good story with plenty of twists and turns and an unexpected ending.
I normally buy one book a month by an author I have not read before and this was one. It was a good story with plenty of twists and turns and an unexpected ending.
August 12, 2021
Couldn't put it down.
4am I am writing this has I just couldn't put this book down until it was finished. Kept me guessing throughout.Bring on the second in the series :)
4am I am writing this has I just couldn't put this book down until it was finished. Kept me guessing throughout.Bring on the second in the series :)
December 13, 2021
First book I've read by this author. Won't be the last. Great story, unexpected twist.
May 16, 2022
Decent start to a Birmingham based crime series. Point knocked off for the damp squib of the mole reveal..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews