Digital Reads Reviews

My review

A child, Lola Jade is abducted from her home, and the mother directs blame on her estranged husband. The police investigate thoroughly but are left with no clues. The case is then handed over to Detective Rachel Prince, along with her partner Brickall, goes deeper into this abduction. Then comes the murder of a woman along with the abduction of a second child…

Is everything connected? Are the darker parts of life in play? Is this the underbelly of a gruesome crime?  Is Lola Jade alive? 

This is my first book by the author Alison James, and this is the first in the Rachel Prince series. I like her main character, Rachel. She is sarcastic, she is gutsy, she is intuitive, and she never gives up. In her own words, as she says… 

I need to see it through. Find my way to the very end of the maze. 

Every loose end is thoroughly checked, all sightings of the child are followed through by her. She also harbours secrets about her personal life. It is her determination which made me persevere through the story. 

This book feels more police procedural to me than a suspense thriller. The book deals with detailed day by day happenings. Though I got to know Detective Rachel Prince, I didn’t know much about the woman Rachel Prince, other than the fact she doesn’t cook and likes her salads, and is a health freak, running and boxing with occasional swimming. 

As a police procedural, the book works well, but there are moments in the middle where I felt it dragged. I did want to skip pages, but I restrained myself and read through the entire story.  

Alison James writes well, it is obvious that there is a clear plot in her head, and she has decided the parts her characters would play. So the book picks up pace after the murder of the woman and becomes interesting. I must say the ending was fun and unexpected. (I have decided not to try to guess while reading suspense thrillers as I do not want to be too disappointed) 

There are some niggles… Some parts of the book felt drab to me and I felt it just went back and forth between Lola Jade’s parents without anything really happening. 

For me on the whole an entertaining read I enjoyed most parts of it, especially the ending. 

I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Bookouture and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. 

My rating: 3.5 stars

About the Author

 Alison James (New York, NY) is the author of the hit breakup survival guide I Used to Miss Him . . . But My Aim Is Improving and The 10 Women You’ll Be Before You’re 35. Alison’s work has been featured in more than fifty publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Maxim and Woman’s Own. She has appeared on VH1, Soap Talk, Cinemax, and more than 200 radio stations in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

Book blurb 

Six-year-old Lola Jade Harper is taken from her bedroom. Her mother is distraught. She is convinced her estranged husband, Gavin Harper, has abducted their daughter.
Detective Rachel Prince is leading the investigation but is soon out of her depth as she searches for the most high-profile missing child in the country. To uncover the truth about Lola’s disappearance, Rachel must untangle the Harper family’s complicated web of secrets and lies.
As the case progresses, the body of a local woman is found. The death at first seems unrelated, until a trail of social media posts lead Rachel to a chilling discovery. 
And then another little girl is taken…
With growing pressure from the public and the appearance of someone from her past she’d rather forget, will Rachel be able to solve the connection between the two missing children and the murder – before it’s too late?

Product Details 

Publication date : 7th February 2018

Publisher : Bookouture 

Language : English 

Available on Amazon