(Detective Natalie Ward #1)

One hot summer’s afternoon, five-year-old Ava Sawyer went to a party. She never came home …

When five-year-old Ava Sawyer goes missing from a birthday party at a local garden centre, the police are bewildered by the lack of leads. That is until two years later, when Ava’s body is found and another little girl, Audrey Briggs, goes missing. Audrey also attended that party …

Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward. A mother of two teenagers, this case chills her to the bone, and is a disturbing reminder of the last job she worked on. One that ended very badly.

Natalie soon discovers that Ava’s mother has some worrying gaps in her alibi and as she digs deeper, she’s sure Ava’s father is not telling the full story. And what did the owner of the garden centre Elsa see that day? Something that she’s not telling Natalie …

Just as Natalie is facing up to the grim possibility that Ava and Audrey were killed by someone close to home, another little girl from the party doesn’t come home from her ballet lesson. Can Natalie find a way to stop this killer before more innocent lives are taken?

MOMOBOOKDIARY REVIEW

WOW What a story!

I had this book on my wish list since before it was published after reading so many tweets about it from fellow bloggers.  When the second book was then featured all over twitter I knew I had to make time to read the first one as I really wanted to read the second one at the same time as everyone else.  I bought this book whilst waiting for approval on NetGalley to read and review the second book ahead of publication.  Pleased to say I was approved… review will follow in due course.

This is the first book I have read by author Carol Wyer and I can honestly say she is now on my list of authors I will buy a book without reading the blurb.  Simply Brilliant!

The Birthday is quite a dark story as it is about young children being murdered.  Detective Natalie Ward is a fantastic character and stops at nothing to solve the case.  I was hooked from the start and couldn’t put it down.  It is a non-stop roller coaster ride with many OMG moments.  I experienced a wide range of emotions whilst reading and I don’t have children – can only guess at the trauma this could cause for a mother or father reading…. worst nightmare ever!

OMG I am absolutely blown away.  I did not see the twists and turns coming – and that conclusion…. Oh WOW!   I cannot wait to read the second instalment – but first I need some sleep because I know once I start I won’t be putting that book down until the end either.

• TITLE: The Birthday
• AUTHOR: Carol Wyer
• PUBLISHER: Bookouture
• PUBLICATION DATE: 27 September 2018

 

REVIEW PUBLISHED

GoodReads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carol Wyer garnered a loyal following as an author of romantic comedies, and won The People’s Book Prize Award for non-fiction (2015). In 2017 she stepped from comedy to the “dark side” and embarked on a series of thrillers, featuring the popular DI Robyn Carter, which earned her recognition as a crime writer.

The Staffordshire-based writer now has more crime novels in the pipeline, although she can still sometimes be found performing her stand-up comedy routine Laugh While You Still Have Teeth.

www.carolewyer.co.uk
You can interact with Carol Wyer on her website, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads