Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway is a William Morrow publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
DS Lucy Black has been placed on a high profile kidnapping case. When a young girl is found wandering half frozen and has gone mute most likely from her trauma, Lucy finds herself emotionally involved. This case is somehow linked to the kidnapping case which has everyone baffled.
If this were not enough stress, Lucy's superior just happens to be her mother with whom she has a less than warm relationship with and she tries to keep all this secret from her workmates just in case someone thinks she is getting special treatment.
Add to that, her father is suffering from dementia and Lucy is responsible for his care. He has been increasingly confused and continuously refers to her as Janet. She has no idea who Janet is. As Lucy tries to help the little girl they found and her father and work the missing person/kidnapping case, she makes a few major blunders. But, she also begins trying to uncover who Janet is and this opens up a can of worms that could put everyone Lucy knows in whole new light and Lucy may find herself a target for murder.
This is the first book I have read by this author. Originally published in 2011 this book is now available in digital format.
Cleverly plotted, perfectly paced, character driven and explosive, I am now a fan. I want more from this author. I love thinking person mysteries. This is a dark, gritty, detective novel with some violent images. There is heartbreak as we see Lucy take some pretty hard kicks from reality both in her job and in her personal life. The story was atmospheric, descriptive of it's Irish setting, and thought provoking.
This one deserves an A+
