There aren’t really any more avenues for detective novel writers to go down, each story follows a very similar storyline to the last but still we pick them up. Why? Because some are rubbish and others are amazing but it’s so hard to tell by just reading the synopsis. This one? Well it’s certainly similar to other novels but it’s refreshingly lighthearted, still managing to tackle dark subjects but in an easy-to-read way. My one problem with the book that I noticed straight away was too many narrators. Luckily, as the novel went on, it got easier to remember who was who so it wasn’t as annoying as in the beginning but it was a little confusing at the start. Other than my hatred for having to focus so much on whose chapter it was, I actually liked all of the characters in this book! It was so nice to have a police based book where none of them were horrid and they all managed to get along, like most colleagues do in the real world! Even the SIO was normal! Though, I will admit, I found reading about Miriam a bit dull, I could have done without most of her stuff. Manon was such a realistic person, she really reminds me of an actual human being rather than that fuddy duddy police machine type robot you find in so many of the these types of books. I loved that she had a life outside of work that we got to see, that wasn’t only depressing. Granted it was a little sad that she was so lonely but her internet dates were so funny and that made everything a lot nicer to read. Also, her whole spiel on hobbies was hilarious! ”I’ve decided to get hobbied up.” “And how is that going?” asks Davy, with hopefulness that would imply he’d never met Manon. “Awful. I hate it. I mean, what’s the point of doing something just for the sake of it, when it isn’t your job?” Davy was by far my favourite character in the book. It was so refreshing to find an officer who thoroughly enjoyed their job and time with their colleagues. He was a total sweetheart, I loved him! I also loved the mystery that was Kim, she was a funny ol’ character to have as an extra, just brightening up a scene every now and then with her strangeness. I felt the plot for this novel was more of a character building plot, rather than a fast paced mystery thriller, but that was something I didn’t mind when it came to this book because all of the characters were worth getting to know. The resolution of the novel kind of disappointed me. It wasn’t how I would have pictured the missing person's case to have ended up, but I was happy with how the ending chapters gave us an insight into how everyone on the force was doing and how their personal lives ended up. I’m glad to hear that Manon will be featured in other novels by the author because she was a great character and I will definitely be reading more novels with her in!

There seemed to be a lot of pages for a smallish story......I quite liked the characters but it did all go on rather longer than I liked. OK, though and perfect for a holiday read

The flawed and very human character of DS Manon Bradshaw is so well portrayed. She is single and failing at dating. You do begin to empathise with her. Her relationship with DC Davy Walker is particularly well crafted. The novel centres on a missing person, Edith Hind. Her absence is reported to the police by her boyfriend Will Carter. She has left their shared home with nothing. The novel explores the missing woman’s relationship with her boyfriend, family members and others with whom she has come into contact. Nothing is at it seems. It would be a challenge to say more about the plot without creating spoilers. It is intricate, engrossing and well written. There are plenty of twists and turns. I very much enjoyed it. ARC received from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

This is a great psychological crime novel, which definitely holds it's own in a sea of similar stories. The reader really gets to know the lead character, DS Manon Bradshaw, both how she is at work and also in her personal life. There are some interesting observations about how what is happening in Manon’s personal life impacts on her work and the decisions she makes, something which in some way or another I think most people can relate to. The author tells the story from the perspective of different characters in each chapter, cleverly moving the plot forward, occasionally offering up small clues as to what may have happened, without ever revealing too much. I was kept guessing for the vast majority of the book with ever changing perceptions and ideas on what had happened and who was responsible. For me, this kept the plot engaging, gripping and moving at a swift pace as I was desperate to find out more. At times, Steiner’s writing style reminded me of one of my favourite modern crime authors, Elly Griffiths. I can certainly draw likenesses between lead characters Ruth Galloway (Griffiths) and Manon Bradshaw (Steiner) which I found a real treat as I’m constantly waiting for a new Galloway story and Manon has help to bridge the wait a little. I think Manon is a fabulous character creation, I seriously hope that this is the first of many novels which feature her as I think there’s still many stories to be told with her as a central character in her police role. Even if it doesn’t feature Manon, I’m certainly looking forward to seeing what Steiner writes next.

This is a pretty good book, not the best I’ve read, but pretty good. There are some great characters, especially the lead protagonist DS Manon Bradshaw with whom I felt able to connect with. The writing flowed well making it easy to read. The story kept my interest throughout and I felt the police investigation aspect was quite believable. This is the first in a series of books featuring DS Bradshaw, I am tempted to read more. Thanks go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.