A young woman wakes up in a cold, dark cellar, with no idea how she got there or who her kidnapper is. So begins her terrible nightmare.
Nearby, the body of another young woman is discovered buried on a remote beach. But the dead girl was never reported missing - her estranged family having received regular texts from her over the years. Someone has been keeping her alive from beyond the grave.
For Detective Inspector Helen Grace its chilling evidence that she's searching for a monster who is not just twisted but also clever and resourceful - a predator who's killed before.
And as Helen struggles to understand the killer's motivation, she begins to realize that she's in a desperate race against time.
***
[Ruby tossed fitfully in her bed after a disturbed night's sleep]***
(@PenguinUKBooks, 12 February 2015, 434 pages, paperback, bought from one charity shop or another but can't remember where)
***
***
I've heard of the author before but never read any of his books, except an audible original crime podcast he wrote a while ago. There are lots of thriller writers out there and it's impossible to get round to them all. I enjoyed this, it has all the trademarks of a good thriller; missing girls being tortured in a cellar, bodies of women who've been creepily starved to death and creepy psychopaths. There is a sub plot about DI Grace's boss having it in for her and trying to set her up. While interesting, this detracted from the main plot and I could have done without it. I wanted to know if the team would find Ruby in time. I enjoyed this and will likely read more of the author's work.