Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

D.I. Kim Stone, Book 3

Synopsis: Two girls go missing. Only one will return.

The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die.

When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping.

And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for and the squad.

Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour…

Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families’ past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone’s child pay the ultimate price?

Review: Charlotte and Amy are best friends, their families also get along very well and they’re as close as the two little girls. But when the two girls are abducted, Kim Stone is put in charge of the case. Oh, she shouldn’t have, but one of the mothers is a woman she knew as a child. Determined to find them, our heroine will do everything in her power to find a lead. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be easy and echoes an old case that ended very badly.

I had a great time with this novel. I was carried away by the investigation, curious to find out who the culprit was. It’s terrible, because we also follow the culprits, among whom is a completely deranged person who takes pleasure in killing.

It’s not an easy story, but it was a very good read. The investigation is interesting and I was looking forward to the ending, which I didn’t see coming!