Mik lives in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, but travels the length and breadth of the UK as a Project Manager. He's a long-time crime fiction fan, with bookshelves groaning under the weight of signed copies from some of the greats of the genre. He's also a reviewer, and an aspiring crime writer, with hopes of joining his literary heroes on a shelf near you in the not too distant future.
On a stormy night in 1994 Twin Leila Hawkins leaves her father’s birthday party accidentally wearing her sisters coat. That night she disappears without trace leaving her family devastated.
Spring forward 25 years and her twin sister has made it her lives work to continue the search for Leila. Every year she covers the local town in posters of her sister in a desperate hope that one day it triggers a memory in someone that could shed some light on the mystery events surrounding that fateful night.
Just as she is losing hope, Stella is approached by the charismatic Euan, a TV presenter specialising in real crime documentaries for Netflix. Euan offers to do a re-enactment and see if it shakes loose something that could finally give Stella some closure. This not only achieves that but sets off a chain of events that result in a shocking twist.
As a middle-aged Canine behaviour specialist, who lives alone with her three dogs for company, Stella is a wonderfully unorthodox protagonist. I loved her bullish no nonsense attitude to life and the way she handles herself during any moments of conflict.
The story is a little slow to start but I am relieved I kept at it because it soon sparked into life and it wasn’t long before I was hanging on every word. I was desperate to know what happened to Leila and Barbara ruthlessly led me down the garden path time and again. I questioned the motives of every single character who; as the story progressed all had motives to have done something to Leila. Eventually I was put out of my misery with an explosive and shocking revelation.
The author has again delivered a masterclass in writing with this perfectly executed psychological thriller. As psychological thrillers go this is one of the best I have read in ages. The way the book shifted between the present and the past really ramped up the tension. Each time casting doubt on more suspects until I began to suspect everyone played a part in the disappearance. This was a gripping read that I couldn’t put down. Barbara Copperthwaite kept us waiting three years for this and I sincerely hope I don’t have to wait as long for the next.
