Title: Somebody’s Daughter
Author: Carol Wyer
Series: Detective Natalie Ward, #7
Published: July 2020, Bookouture
Format: ARC E-copy, 378 pages
Source: Netgalley
Summary:
One by one the girls disappeared…
When
the frail body of a teenage girl is discovered strangled in a parking
lot, shards of ice form in Detective Natalie Ward’s veins. As Natalie
looks at the freckles scattered on her cheeks and the pale pink lips
tinged with blue, she remembers that this innocent girl is somebody’s
daughter…
The girl is identified as missing teenager Amelia
Saunders, who has run away from home and her controlling father.
Natalie’s heart sinks further when it becomes clear that Amelia has been
working on the streets, manipulated by her violent new boyfriend Tommy.
A
day later, another vulnerable girl is found strangled on a park bench.
Like Amelia, Katie Bray was a runaway with connections to Tommy, and
Natalie is determined to find him and track down the monster attacking
these scared and lonely girls.
But when a wealthy young woman is
found murdered the next morning, the word ‘guilty’ scrawled on her
forehead, Natalie realises that the case is more complex than she first
thought. Determined to establish a connection between her three victims,
Natalie wastes no time in chasing down the evidence, tracing everyone
who crossed their paths. Then, a key suspect’s body turns up in the
canal, a mole in Natalie’s department leaks vital information and
everything seems to be against her. Can Natalie stop this clever and
manipulative killer before they strike again?
My thoughts: This
is the seventh book in Carol Wyer’s Detective Natalie Ward series, and it’s amazing to me that this series just gets better and better. Carol
Wyer sure knows how to write an addicting and thrilling series for sure. As soon as I see these books available on Netgalley, I grab them, knowing I am in for some great reading!
I’ve said this before, and I will say it again. I really feel strongly that this series is best read in order. Yes, you can absolutely read each and every one of these books as a stand-alone. Each book features a self-contained case. However, you will miss out on the character development that is carried on throughout the series and to me, that is one of the strongest parts of this series. And, there is a major development that happens in Natalie’s personal life in book five and she is still dealing with the aftermath of that in this book – 2 books later.
This book sees Natalie in a new role – which if you had read the previous book, was offered to Natalie right at the end and we weren’t sure if she was going to take it or not. We also see Lucy having taken Natalie’s previous position. I love that these female characters have such leadership roles in this book. Both these women are strong, fierce women, and while we may see them struggle to balance everything, that is real life and I like that Carol Wyer addresses that in her book.
From the first page to the last, I was captivated. The case and the character development kept me glued to the pages and I find that I’m as interested in both, wanting just as much attention to be given to the case as it is to what is going on with my favorite characters. I really enjoy this series, as dark as it can sometimes get and I hope it continues for a long time!
Books in this series:
- The Birthday
- Last Lullaby
- The Dare
- The Sleepover
- The Blossom Twins
- The Secret Admirer
- Somebody’s Daughter
