THE NIGHT OF THE SLEEPOVER

4.5 stars out of 5

I've lost count of the number of books I've read by this author, and while I've enjoyed some more than others, of course, I've never been disappointed. This one follows in that fine tradition - ending with an unexpected twist and the promise of a sequel (the latter by the author in his acknowledgements).

At a sleepover at one of their homes, three youngish girls - Leah, Jasmine, Victoria and Harriet - crawl into their sleeping bags after a night of chatter, consuming copious slices of pizza and even more copious glasses of vodka-laced drinks. The next morning, one wakes up - only to find three other empty sleeping bags. Now, some 20 years later, what happened to the girls remains a mystery and the only "survivor" - Leah - has moved on to get married (and divorced) and have a 14-year-old son. What happened that night, though, continues to haunt just about everyone in town - especially the missing girls' parents and relatives like Esther, now a lawyer and Victoria's sister.

Enter Owen, younger brother of the missing Jasmine. Now a filmmaker of sorts, he's returned with his team determined to make a documentary on the disappearances that he hopes will turn up evidence that will lead to the truth. Leah, of course, is on his list of people to interview; her first one doesn't go well, but quickly, it gets worse: she gets an email warning her to do whatever it takes to stop Owen's project.

Chapters switch from the present to days before, during and after the sleepover so readers get gradually more insights into the girls' lives and what might have happened on that fateful night. One of the biggest questions, for instance, is how Leah was able to stay asleep while three other people somehow got up and left the same room? And was Leah's father - a not-so-upstanding citizen who's about to be released from prison - involved in any way?

In the end, of course, everything is resolved - though probably not quite in the way most readers will expect. Overall, it's an engaging read - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy.

The Night of the Sleepover by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, October 2023); 287 pp.

THE BOYFRIEND

3.5 stars out of 5

In all honesty, I enjoyed this book overall, just as I have several other of this prolific author's works. Also in all honesty, though, I can't say it's his best.

The story centers around Jodie Parker, whose father, a much-revered community leader, recently and unexpectedly passed away. He and Jodie's mother aren't together anymore, and in his will he left his house to Jodie, totally shutting out her older brother Mike (who, understandably, isn't pleased about it). But as she goes through the house to get rid of unwanted "stuff," she finds an article of clothing connected to a long-ago boyfriend who is assumed to have been murdered. That makes her question everything she believed about her father; why on earth would he have it at all, much less stored in an attic where she was always forbidden to go?

Answering that question forms the basis of the plot, but it also was a source of frustration for me; it seemed like half the book was taken up with her questioning, musing, wondering, suspicions and indecision about whether or not to involve the police (read: over-the-top repetition). The other details, though, kept things interesting - including her relationship with old friend Fiona, her teenage son Owen, her ex-husband Darren (whose current wife is very pregnant) and her brother, whose wife Samantha is intent on making sure he gets his fair share of the inheritance pie. Complicating the whole mess is Paul McIntosh, who was convicted of murdering Jodie's boyfriend Ben all those years ago but swears he's innocent, decides to return home upon his release from prison.

Jodie waffles back and forth for the rest of the book, and I won't say I'm happy with the ending, which brings a tragedy that complicates that decision even more (if that's possible). But even though there was never any question about what I would do if all this happened to me, the ending does provide food for thought and, for those who might think otherwise, underscores the fact that nothing is written in black and white. In short, it's a more-than-decent choice for reading at the beach or next to a cozy fireplace in winter, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Boyfriend by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, June 2022); 334 pp.

THE PARTY AT NO. 12

4 stars out of 5

Sometimes when a roadblock threatens to derail your journey, you've just got to suck it up, walk around it and keep going till you reach your destination. Such was the case here for me early on, when a bunch of adult women made a decision so egregious and off-putting that I nearly shut off my Kindle and called it quits. But this is an author whose work I've always enjoyed - and I'd agreed to provide an honest review of the book in exchange for getting access prior to release - so I shoved my real feelings to the other side of my brain and kept plugging away. And in doing so, I found a story that kept me entertained the rest of the way.

Hannah Ford, you see, is having a party - a last hurrah of sorts before she takes off for some post-divorce traveling, with no set date to return. Her mother Alison and her friend Janet Hannah's sisters Charlotte and Beth are there, as are her old friend Sophie, Sophie's mother Dawn and another old friend, Katherine. They're staying at an old home that's been renovated for renting out. Truth is, the party-goers haven't exactly been friends (or close relatives) for some time now - and it's clear they all are trying to hide some kind of secret from the others.

That's why, or so readers are to believe, seven of the guests decide it wouldn't serve them well to bring in the police when the eighth turns up dead. After all, she'd been drinking (or worse) and was injured - perhaps more seriously than the others had thought at the time. No doubt an accident, they rationalize - but calling in the cops would call too much attention to the women and those aforementioned secrets. Instead, they agree to take matters into their own hands - literally - and if anyone asks, pretend the dead woman never existed. 

At that point, my focus turned to hoping they'd all get their comeuppance - the sooner the better. The chapters ignored my opinion, though, shifting from character to character to let readers in on events and interactions of the past that shaped who they are today - all leading up to who's responsible for what happened at the party (with a twist at which some readers will be surprised). The loose ends finally get tied up, and while I can't say all's well that ends well, that's partly because I wouldn't have been happy unless each and every one got her fair share of the blame and that doesn't happen. But overall, it's a fun, easy-to-read book - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Party at No. 12 by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, March 2022); 349 pp.

THE CHILD IN THE PHOTO

4 stars out of 5

My feelings about this book are mixed. On the one hand, it's an intriguing story - one with enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages of my Kindle all the way to the end. But the end? It happened so abruptly - and in my mind, incompletely, that I actually said out loud, "Wait - is that all there is, or did I miss something?"

But back to the beginning: Someone slips an old newspaper article to 34-year-old Hope Taylor about a baby girl who was taken from her mother three decades earlier. Nothing to get excited about, at least until Hope spots a very unique and unusual physical characteristic on the baby that she shares. Coincidence? Unlikely - but Hope loves her parents, who took good care of her, especially when she was in a bad accident. Her mother, when Hope confronts her, says all the right things; but the next day, Hope sees her burning papers in the garden and her reasons for doing so are less than satisfactory. 

When she tells her good platonic friend, Stephen, what happened, he insists that they go meet the woman whose daughter was stolen all those years ago. They break in, and Hope finds evidence that this woman's baby wasn't the only one stolen back then. Later still, Hope returns and actually meets the mother, who is absolutely positive that Hope is her missing daughter - a daughter she wants back in her life. In the midst of all this, Stephen must deal with a personal incident that could have been deadly.

Still reeling, the only thing both Hope and Stephen are sure of is that they don't want to tell the police. And that was a turn-off for me, because I just couldn't buy their rationalizations for not doing so (although if Hope, in particular, had done so at that point I guess there wouldn't have been much of a story left). Then Hope gets a visitor who brings an even bigger surprise; and with that, I must stop and not give away anything more. Suffice it to say that trying to sort everything out becomes an emotional roller coaster - one on which it's next to impossible to see where the next turn will come and where it's going.

Most of what happens gets resolved, but not all; as I indicated at the beginning, I wasn't totally satisfied and felt that several loose ends never got tied up. But overall, there's plenty of action here that should keep most readers not wanting to put the book down (think: Summer's coming and a relaxing chaise on the beach with a good book is starting to sound great). I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Child in the Photo by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, June 2021); 318 pp.

THE BLAME

4.5 stars out of 5

If I could pick an overarching theme for this intriguing book, it's a line that's repeated a few times throughout: "People change, and then they change again." It's certainly true in real life, and it's manifested in several of the characters herein. The story is narrated by Harry Curtis, who left his small hometown of Mackleberry, England, to live and work in Canada a couple of decades ago. It's his first time back, and he's more than a little reluctant to return. But an old school chum - Richard - has been arrested for the murder of one of their teachers; another friend, Paige, called to beg Harry to help her find out what really happened and help Richard's case. Since Harry and his wife are separated, he decides to head across the Pond and give it a go.

Harry soon finds he's surprised at the changes in the still-insular community he once loved - some of them for the better, others not. Paige herself certainly isn't her former self; among other things, she's in the midst of a divorce from Richard's elder brother, Oliver. Harry's sister, Evie, lives in their old family home; while she's not enthused to see her younger brother, she allows him to stay with her for the duration of his stay.

Early on, readers learn of a long-ago incident involving another of their school friends, Graham. Almost as quickly, it appears the local police are trying to tie that incident to the current murder. That, both Harry and Paige agree, simply isn't the case. But then again, Harry's memory of how things happened back then aren't exactly clear; and as their investigation - and that of the police - gets more serious, some of the relationships Harry once thought were rock solid begin to crumble.

The ending brings everything - well, almost everything - to closure, though not necessarily with a "God's in his heaven, all's right with the world" feel. A well done, insightful and thought-provoking read that I definitely recommend. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Blame by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, February 2021); 317 pp.

WHAT MY HUSBAND DID

5 stars out of 5

It's rare for me (as I suspect it is for most other readers) to have the luxury of reading a book at a single sitting. It's even more rare for me to actually want to do that. Such was the case here; I was hooked from the git-go and, had it not been for a husband who depends on me to feed him at least once a day, I'd have plowed straight through.

Early on, we see 12-year-old Alice getting into a car driven by Richard - the husband of Maddy, in turn the mother of a college-age daughter. Nothing to get excited about, really, except that soon thereafter, the girl is found near death in a remote area of Leavensfield, England, the small but rather snobbish community in which Richard and Maddy live. To make matters worse, Richard - a university lecturer - didn't come the night Alice was found. Nor did he show up the next night, and Maddy's text messages and calls go unanswered.

Almost everyone in the community turns against Maddy, presumably figuring she was somehow aware of what Richard did (and may have even helped him do it). Meanwhile, she wrestles with a childhood event that left emotional scars (a few interspersed chapters let readers in on what happened back then). And then, Maddy gets a sign that fills her with both hope and dread; which one wins out is the stuff of which edge-of-seat experiences are made.

I can't say I was totally thrilled with the ending - nor was I very fond of the catty, shallow residents of Leavensfield - but whole thing certainly made for an exciting adventure with plenty of twists. Highly recommended, and many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

What My Husband Did by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, November 2020); 360 pp.

THE CHILD ACROSS THE STREET

4 stars out of 5

So far, I've read eight books by this author - on purpose. So when I got the chance to snag an advance copy of this one, I didn't even think once about requesting it. And even though it comes as no surprise, once again I'm a very happy reader.

Abigail (Abi) Coyle has returned to the childhood home she left some 20 years ago, but not because she misses the place so much. Her father has died and, as the only child, bequeathed her his house (her mother left them years ago, and her father got a divorce on the grounds of abandonment). Abi doesn't want to be here, but she needs to finalize funeral arrangements and check the contents of the house.

On the way there, wheeling her suitcase down the street next to a park, she's startled to hear car brakes squeal. The car quickly moves on - seen only as a brief glimpse - and Abi turns her attention to the side of the road. First, she sees a damaged bicycle wheel; then, something more horrifying appears: the body of a young boy. It appears he's still breathing, and Abi wastes no time calling the proper authorities. The boy is rushed to the hospital, and it turns out to be Ethan, the son of one of Abi's childhood friends.

Dad's home is nothing short of a mess, and Abi vows to avoid being in it as much as possible. But there's nowhere much better to stay, and Abi has left her job in London to come here and can't afford to waste money on overnight lodging. So, she stays in her old bedroom - now musty and dusty - while she begins to sort through all the "stuff" her father has hoarded over the years. At one time, she's certain someone was trying to get in the house, but nothing comes of it. Maybe, she surmises, someone wants to find out how much she knows about the hit-and-run driver who hit the boy (which realistically is practically nothing).

Over a period of a couple of days, Abi meets up with several other childhood friends, including an ex-boyfriend who's now married with kids (much to the chagrin of his wife). Memories start flowing back - most of them more than enough to convince Abi that she wants no part of living in this backwoods community ever again - even when she meets an intriguing new-to-her character who brings a surprise of a lifetime. Still, she's concerned about the accident victim, his family and the identity of that errant driver - clues lead to several possibilities - so she pokes around while the house is being cleaned out and readied for sale. 

My only disappointment, and it's a very minor one, is that I wanted to know more specifics about what happened in Abi's childhood. It's easy to see why she's estranged from her runaway mother, but she has zero use for her father, either - and what he did to deserve her wrath isn't fully explained. Still and all, this is another of the author's don't-want-to-put-down books, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the chance to read and review it. Good job once again!

The Child across the Street by Kerry Wilkerson (Bookouture, July 2020); 322 pp.

A CRY IN THE NIGHT

4 stars out of 5

After finally warming up to detective investigator Jessica Daniel in the 2018 Eye for an Eye series entry, I must say that after reading this one I've cooled off again. I'm not sure why, except that Jessica seems to be more of an "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission" kind of person than I'd like her to be. 

No, that doesn't mean this book isn't good - I enjoyed it thoroughly, as I have the others I've read. And for sure I love a feisty female character, and Jessica certainly is that; but sometimes she seems to go astray with little regard for the consequences (though maybe, if the ending here is any indication, she may need to start reining herself in).

The main story has an interesting twist - one that prompted me to learn more; 14-year-old Samuel is blind, but that doesn't prevent him from "seeing" his way around amazingly well. He does that by "echolocation" - using sound (generated by clicking his tongue that bounces off objects much like sonar). He lives with his mother in a simple flat in Manchester, England, and it is there that Jessica gets involved. A couple of nasty men (or so Samuel says) broke in and as a result, his mother was killed. Samuel can describe both men by his sound clues, but he has no names nor did he actually see the two. So with few clues - including a motive - Jessica and her partner Archie set out to head up the investigation.

The neighbors aren't much help; they've all moved out months earlier. The only clue Jessica's search of the flat turns up is that somehow, some way, Samuel's mother seems to have been getting under-the-table revenue. As all this progresses, Jessica gets hints that all may not be well in her department - but clues as to what might be going on are even more scarce than in the case of Samuel's mother's death.

Everything pretty much gets resolved by the end of this book except that last bit, which I'm sure will carry over to the next one - and I'm looking forward to it. I must also commend the author for coming up with some new-to-me British words and phrases - hard to do in part because I read so many books set in the U.K. and have the great pleasure of having a daughter-in-law (and her brother) who were born in London. Beans on toast? Check. Crisps? Check. Poppadum? What the heck?

No, I won't tell you - go look it up for yourself, just as you'll have to read this book to flesh out the rest of the story. My opinion? Thumbs up! Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy to read and review.

A Cry in the Night by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, January 2020); 356 pp.

SILENT SUSPECT

4 stars out of 5

I've said before that while I truly enjoy this series, I never totally warmed up to the main character, detective inspector Jessica Daniel, until Book 12 (this is the 13th). In that one she won me over, and after reading this one I remain a fan. She's a tough-as-nails, no-nonsense woman whose background issues don't get in her way - well, most of the time, anyway.

As this one begins, Jessica has received an ominous phone call from her wayward young friend Rebecca ("Bex"), who had been living with Jessica but recently disappeared with no warning. Jessica leaves Manchester, where she works and lives, to try and find her on a beach some 50 miles away. There, she notices a "missing" poster showing a young girl named Katy, who bears a strong resemblance to Bex. When Jessica calls the number on the poster, the man who answers claims to be Peter, Katy's brother.

They meet in person, but Peter has no knowledge of Bex. Disappointed, Jessica returns to her rather seedy motel room and single-handedly empties the mini-bar's contents (well okay, maybe she used both hands). When she crawls out of bed - pretty thoroughly hung over - she gets a sobering wake-up call; the man she met has been murdered. Not only was she the last known person to have seen him alive, there's blood on her car that wasn't there the day before. The local police detective is willing to cut her some slack because she's "one of them," but at the same time, she's considered a prime suspect. From that point on, it's mostly Jessica trying to stay in the shaky good graces of the law despite mounting evidence of her guilt while continuing to look for Bex on her own. The journey takes her to the bowels of the city she's in - almost literally - and reveals some nasty goings-on involving drug and human trafficking. 

Needless to say, Jessica lives to see another day (or more to the point, another book), although she doesn't emerge totally unscathed. Interesting to me is the author's explanation that the series has been developed to showcase "seasons" of Jessica's life; books 8-13 are Season 2, which means the next one will mark the start of Season 3. What do I say to that? Bring it on!

Silent Suspect by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, January 2019); 320 pp.

EYE FOR AN EYE

4 stars out of 5

After reading several of the author's books featuring Jessica Daniel without really relating to the Greater Manchester, England, detective investigator, I think I've finally warmed up to her. To be clear, all the books I've read have been very good - it's just that Jessica herself wasn't a character I would be eager to sit down with at a bar and share drinks. This installment, though, won me over; so Jessica, if you ever cross the Pond and land in northeastern Ohio, I'm buying.

How that mental switcheroo came about is a sort of yin-yang thing, actually. There are so many different "plots" going on in this one that it's almost hard to keep the players straight (and the bits with the rock star who thinks a ghost is out to get him and bridezilla-to-be whose fiance has gone missing are, quite honestly, borderline silly). On the other side of the equation, all those story lines provide greater insights into Jessica's background and personality, thus allowing me to get to know, and like, her better - so all's well that ends well. And speaking of endings, as is the author's norm in this series, there's a cliffhanger - but it's not nearly as in-your-face as in previous books.

Jessica is still struggling with the loss of Adam, the love of her life and the victim of a car bombing meant for Jessica. He's been in a hospital in a coma from which he's not expected to recover for quite some time, pitting her hope against reality. She's also desperate to find her teenage friend Bex, a runaway who's been living with Jessica but suddenly went missing. The primary story, though, is the release from mental hospital custody of Damian Walker, who abducted and gruesomely murdered several women 17 years earlier. Deemed "safe" for society, he's been stashed in a sort of witness protection program under a new name. Not long afterward, another woman is murdered in a similar fashion, raising suspicions that Walker is neither safe nor sane. Problem is, he wears a leg monitor 24/7 and clearly never left his house. Among those most upset is Anne, one of Walker's years-ago targets who managed to survive with serious physical and mental injuries.

After yet another woman turns up dead, Jessica and her team are charged with finding out whether Walker is somehow escaping or someone else is trying to frame him. In between, she has to deal with that very annoying bride-to-be - who's managed to make a media spectacle of herself and the cops who aren't helping her - and that rock star who seems to have taken a shine to Jessica. Oh yes, and worry that Bex flew the coop because of something Jessica said or did.

All in all, another satisfying series entry. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

Eye for an Eye by Kerry Wilkinson (Pan Macmillan , January 2018; Bookouture, November 2018); 321 pp.

SOMETHING WICKED

3.5 stars out of 5


I'm a fan of this author's books, so of course I was eager to try this one, the debut of a new series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter. It fell a bit short of my expectations for several reasons - perhaps the most important one being that I never quite warmed up to Hunter or his quirky assistant, Jenny. Almost every page of the way, it seemed to me that the author was simply trying too hard to get readers interested in both the characters and the plot while I, on the other hand, am in the camp that says if you want to get someone's attention, whisper.

The same is true for the humor that's interspersed throughout; some of it elicited mild chuckles and some fell flat. As always, though, I thoroughly enjoy the British take on things (the setting here is Manchester, England). At one point, for instance, Andrew calls the female voice on his GPS unit a "mardy cow" (which, BTW, I'm planning to retort next time the bloody woman in my GPS spits "recalculating" at me - take that, you hussy)! In another situation, Andrew describes the entry to a college dorm "only marginally more compromised than Britain's border control."

The story itself begins as Andrew and Jenny are working for a woman who's sure her husband is cheating. Shortly thereafter, a man named Richard Carr comes to the office, asking them to take on the case of his son, Nicholas, who disappeared around a year earlier just after he turned 18. Complicating matters is that three chopped-off fingers turned up in a woods have been identified as at one time being attached to Nicholas, but the rest of the kid is nowhere to be found.

Other suspicious deaths and other clues lead to other friends of Nicholas, and a mysterious tattoo arouses suspicions of the occult. For more clarification, Nicholas turns to his ex-wife Keira, with whom he has remained in love for the past eight years despite his being the one to pull the plug on the relationship (hmmm, what's up with that)? Apparently, he has no choice; the investigation otherwise is at a dead end and conveniently, she wrote university papers on the subject of witchcraft and thus is as close to an expert as Andrew thinks he can get.

Details, twists and turns of the investigation are well thought out, although a bit hard to believe in spots. As for the lead characters, I'm hoping the next book will find Andrew a bit less dorky and Jenny a bit more conventional. They do counterbalance each other's personalities well and I hope that continues - just a little toned down, if you please.

Overall, definitely worth a read - especially for those like me who are always on the lookout for a solid new series (I'm of the opinion that better things are to come). Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Something Wicked by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, October 2018); 334 pp.

NOTHING BUT TROUBLE

4 stars out of 5

My experience with the Detective Jessica Daniel series has been both warm and lukewarm so far, but this latest entry - the 11th - is one of the better ones. I must note, though, that the customary honker of a cliffhanger rears its ugly (to me) head at the end. That's because by the time the next book comes out, I'll have forgotten where this one stopped. But that said, I'll be at the ready to start a new one all the same.

After a tantalizing prologue, this story reverts to three weeks earlier, when a van transporting prisoners is hijacked and two of them escaped. Not long afterward, one is found hanging from a bridge - quite dead. This is a puzzlement for the entire Manchester Police Department, Jessica included; why on earth would someone go to the trouble of setting a prisoner free only to kill him?

Jessica's personal life is in a bit of a turmoil as well; her fiance, Adam, has been hospitalized and in a coma for months now with no sign that he'll ever recover. That notwithstanding, she's been keeping overnight company with one of her police cohorts (although in fairness, she at least has the good sense to feel guilty about it every once in a while). She's also got Bex, an abused about-to-be 18-year-old girl who's been living with Jessica while she tries to get her life back together. That takes a maudlin turn, though, when it appears a mysterious woman may be stalking Bex (or is it Jessica)? Add to the mix infighting (and a couple of murders) among casino owners - "mob" types who of course deny any involvement and don't want to play nice with the coppers - and you've got a stew of oddball situations going on at once. The fact that any one of them could go south in a New York minute keeps the action moving along quickly.

Honestly, although I do enjoy this series, I've never cared a lot for Jessica; and for sure, I don't much like Archie, her stand-in love (who comes across as more of a dolt than anything). But hey, for better or worse, it's Jessica's life - and that she's a competent enough police detective makes up for what she may lack when she finally calls it a day and goes back home. All told, then, this is a strong, easy-to-read entry in what already is a good series. Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review it.

Nothing But Trouble by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, August 2018); 367 pp.

LAST NIGHT

4 stars out of 5

Rose Denton is having a tough go of it. She and her 20-year husband are just going through the motions at this point - barely - and their 18-year-old daughter Olivia has evolved into a surly witch with a capital B. Rose's job as a high-end IT system saleswoman is getting harder by the day, and she's getting signals from her boss that improvement is in order stat (or else). And when she goes off on what should be a routine overnight business trip, she wakes up behind the wheel of her car in a remote field. If that weren't bad enough, there's blood on the windshield and hood; but Rose isn't seriously injured, and there's no body - human or animal - anywhere around.

Panicking, and endlessly speculating about what might have happened, Rose returns home, surreptitiously spit-shines the car and starts watching the news to see if anyone has turned up dead. In her spare time, she tries to avoid fighting with her husband and daughter, whose good-for-nothing boyfriend has gone missing. Olivia is nearly hysterical, and it doesn't help that his most recent activity was a fight with Rose.

Other strange things begin to happen, such as a possible break-in at Rose's home and personal items that mysteriously disappear and reappear. Along the way, readers learn that there's more to Rose than meets the eye; apparently, she's been keeping a deep, dark secret from her past that involves three childhood friends (one of whom died years ago and another who spent the past two decades in jail).

Weird things keep happening to Rose, to the point where she suspects everybody from her husband Dan to Olivia's boyfriend. But wait, could what happened years ago be connected to what's happening to her now? The conclusion, complete with a bit of a cliffhanger, is exciting, though I can't say it was particularly surprising. All in all, it's a good, solid effort, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Last Night by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, March 2018); 364 pp.

SCARRED FOR LIFE

3 stars out of 5

The story in this latest series entry is interesting and well thought out. The execution? Not so much.

Even if I don't mention the mother of all cliffhanger endings - never a way to win my heart - I kept running into "what the heck?" references I didn't quite understand simply because I've read only one of the previous books. For that reason, I can't recommend this as a standalone; to get the most out of this series, my advice is to start from the beginning.

Along the way, other issues bothered me as well. The book is set in Manchester, England - and having a wonderful, very British daughter-in-law, I'm fairly comfortable with most words, phrases and spellings that somehow were transformed when they [we] crossed the Pond (some for better, some for worse, IMHO). But in this instance, more than once something left me scratching my head and sending her an email or turning to Google for an explanation. Other times, the author seemed confused as well, such as when central character Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel reaches for a "cookie" and a couple of sentences later is eating a "biscuit." But when she popped a single broken "crisp" into her mouth (in the States, folks, that's a lone potato chip) and immediately had trouble talking because she had a "mouth full," I pretty much lost it.

As for the plot, Jessica has dragged her live-in fiance to Piccadilly Station in hopes of catching a pickpocket who's been targeting couples like them (why she has to explain the reason they're there when Adam complains is a bit of a mystery - surely she would have told him ahead of time). But just as she realizes her own purse has been victimized, Jessica gets a call that a body has been found in a waste bin. That turns out to be Damon Potter, a 19-year-old student and college rowing team member. Meantime, Jessica and her partner, Archie Davey, have been working on another major theft case that involves a robber with a so-far unidentifiable tattoo (although this, too, turns out to be such a well-known design that I couldn't believe no one in the entire Manchester police department had ever seen it before).

The initial investigation of the rower's death reveals a possibility that hazing may have been the cause, but it's suspicious enough for Jessica to lean toward murder. Although the student president of the rowing society, Holden Wyatt, is deemed a person of interest, Jessica is gobsmacked to learn that an unknown someone or someones way above her job level are determined that Wyatt must be prosecuted whether or not he's guilty. That, plus her immediate supervisor's sudden and inexplicable cold shoulder toward her, make her wonder if her career is in jeopardy. When yet another body turns up, it matters not to the powers-that-be; that's a case of a different color, and Wyatt remains expected to go down for Potter's murder no matter what Jessica thinks.

As I said at the beginning, the basic story is of sufficient interest to keep me reading (and I do thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review). But given all the inconsistencies, I'm sorry to say this one just didn't do it for me.

Scarred for Life by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, February 2018); 375 pp.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN

4 stars out of 5


This is the fourth book in the author's series featuring Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel, who has lived in Manchester for about 10 years and works at the Longsight Police Station. I had no problem following the story as a standalone, but at the same time, hints here and there made me think I'd have enjoyed it more had I started at the beginning (something that's true of most series, IMHO, so I'm not picking on this one in particular). It's fast-paced with an attention-getting plot, and I thank the publisher for the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

On her way to work one day not long before Christmas, Jessica witnesses an horrific car crash in which the driver is killed. In the boot (trunk), she finds the dead body of a young boy wrapped in plastic. Neither is readily identifiable (and the driver ain't talking), so she follows rather sketchy clues that lead to child's clothing buried in a remote spot. It turns out the boy has been reported missing and gets a name; but then other clues lead to a shed in a plot of rentable sheds where a list of children's names is found with the trunk occupant's at the top.

Problem is, there's no apparent connection among any of the children's names. So when another one on the list goes missing, Jessica and her police cohorts find themselves scurrying to get to the bottom of things before yet another one disappears. Learning the car driver's identity helps a little, but even then, progress seems to be moving at a snail's pace - especially since whoever's been taking children may have started well over a decade ago.

Meantime, Jessica must grapple with personal issues like a former boyfriend (one instance, I suppose, where reading previous books might have provided a bit more insight) and an intense dislike of Christmas - the only more objectionable holiday, it seems, is New Year's. But this time, the new year may bring a bit of much-needed closure to everyone involved. All in all, a satisfying read - and another solid series to add to my ever-growing list. Bring 'em on!

Think of the Children by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, January 2017); 274 pp.