My Guilty Pleasures Binge Reads : Carol Wyer's Detective Natalie Ward series

I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I hadn't read any Carol Wyer books till these ... and now I've discovered she has other series too! So, watch this space as no doubt there will be more Wyer reviews to follow. Published by Bookouture.

The Birthday Blurb

Available here

One hot summer’s afternoon, five-year-old Ava Sawyer went to a party. She never came home…
Two years later, 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 still keeps her awake at night…

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?

My Thoughts

As mentioned before, this was my introduction to the Natalie Ward series and I loved it. What a poignant, mysterious investigation to be part of. I felt I was there with the team the entire way - with twists and turns at every corner it was an addictive read which pushed me on to book two straight away. 

I loved that we got a lot of forensic detail via the forensic team and that the glimpses into Natalie's home life showed us both her professional and personal lives - neither of which are easy!!!!!

The fact that this was a cold case added to the creepiness of the narrative - the thought that a killer had been out there hiding in plain sight for all this time sent tingles down mine spine - and not in a good way. Well plotted, insightful and compelling!

Last Lullaby Blurb

Available here

Charlotte’s baby is safe. But is she?
When the body of young mother Charlotte Brannon is discovered by her husband in their immaculate, silver bedroom, Detective Natalie Ward is first on the scene. The killer has left a chilling calling card: the word ‘Why?’ written on the wall in blood.
Determined to find justice, Natalie quickly discovers the husband is hiding a troubled past, and she’s sure the teenage babysitter’s alibi doesn’t quite add up.
But before Natalie can dig deeper, another mother is murdered, her young son left distraught, staring at a fresh ‘who’ scrawled beside her.
Natalie knows it’s only a matter of time before the killer strikes again, but all the key suspects have alibis. It’s her toughest case yet, and with her marriage hanging by a thread, the cracks are beginning to show.
Just when Natalie finds an unsettling clue she thinks could solve the case, another young woman and her baby disappear, and a member of Natalie’s team is put in terrible danger.
Can Natalie stop this twisted killer and save one of her own before more families are torn apart forever?

My Thoughts

This one left me gobsmacked. The narrative weaves seamlessly along dropping in hints and clues along the way as we try to wok out who killed Charlotte. Ward and her team delve into the lives of ex cons, the super rich, family and rough kids in this investigation which left me on the edge of my seat. Alongside the investigation we see the strains on Natalie's marriage as the case keeps her on her toes and away from home. I wish she'd just get shot of her needy selfish husband! 

I loved the range of supects and the systematic way in which each one is investigated. With some insight into the varied lifestyles of the suspects, this was a really intriguing read. 

The Dare Blurb

Available here

Jane’s daughter is a good girl. But what is she hiding?
When thirteen-year-old Savannah Hopkins doesn’t come straight home from school as she always
does, her mother Jane immediately raises the alarm. With her blonde ponytail and red school jumper, someone must have spotted Savannah.
Detective Natalie Ward is determined to help the distraught mother – her own daughter is the same age as Savannah. But before Natalie and her team can get started, their worst fears are confirmed when the teenager’s broken body is found in nearby shrubland.
Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as Natalie closes the net around him, one of Savannah’s friends, Harriet, is reported missing. Harriet might look grown up and sophisticated but she is only fourteen…
As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on both their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours. She’s sure this is the key to the case, but before she can act, Harriet’s body is found discarded on a roadside.
Natalie’s superiors don’t have to put any extra pressure on Natalie. Devastated, she and her team work without sleep, watching that video over and over. But just as she thinks they’re getting close, the person Natalie loves more than anything goes missing.
Natalie is no stranger to loss. She is terrified and the clock is ticking. Can she push through her fear to catch this depraved killer, before her loved one becomes the next victim?

My Thoughts

Wow! Every parent's nightmare. I'm just so glad my kids are older as this one was really dark. I find the Natalie Ward books to have a strong police procedural element to them. They are convincingly authentic and the attention to detail is sufficient to make them so, but not so intense that it becomes boring. With a wealth of suspects and a dedicated team of detectives the narrative jogs along at quite a rate. Then, just when you think the tension can't be ratchetted up anymore, Wyer takes it a step further when the investigation veers a little too close to home for Natalie Ward. Relevant, contemporary and well plotted!