Book reviews: A week to go till mother's Day! The Maternal Link: Crime Fiction about Mothers (the good, the bad and the ugly) for Mother's Day!


With Mother's Day looming I thought I'd dedicate a review section on recent crime fiction with a maternal link... the choice available to me was enormous so I've settled on only five.  What I found fascinating about my big five was that each boook took a slightly different slant to the Maternal element.  for example How I lost You deals with a mother who murdered her child whilst the Missing Place explores the dynamics of two mothers whose independant sons have disappeared.  Vanished looks at a complex family structure in a child abduction with hiddenn motives.  Crash and Burn is about the 'missing' girl Vero, whilst the final in my selection Hold Still By Lisa Regan demonstrates the worries and trauma of being a single mum holding down a demanding full time job as a Police Officer and suffering the consequences of bad Maternal decisions by her own mum.

How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst
She wakes up alone and confused.  They tell her she killed
her three month old son.  Now, sentence complete, Susan Webster is trying to get on with her life ...then a photo of a four year old boy with her dead son's name on the back is pushed through her door.  How I Lost You is magnificent.  Susan Webster is a tragic fragile character whilst her best friend and cell mate is sassy and tough.  Nick Whiteley the Knight in shining armour and a handsome reliable reporter turned bodyguard and investigator lends an interesting angle as the story unfolds.  This book is full of edge of seat suspense, shocks, slaps in the face and an absolute delight to read.  As good as Elizabeth Haynes, Louise Voss and Helen Fitzgerald without a doubt.
Released Oct 2014 on kindle £3.99 (PB due for release Apr 2015 £6.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Lost-You-Jenny-Blackhurst-ebook/dp/B00KM19Y40/ref=la_B00MPW02MM_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424452668&sr=1-1
The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield
Two mothers from contrasting backgrounds are flung together to search for their son's who haeve disappeared in north Dakota whilst working for a notoriously dangerous oil rig.  The women Colleen.... and Shay Cappalleri, despite their differences unite to discover what secrets the mining company are concealing, however they face prejudice and closed rank s that leave them in despair of discovering the whereabouts of their children.  This is a haunting Charavcter based portrayal of maternal love.  It explores the dynamics of mother child relationships in a heart-wrenchingly realistic way.  The Missing Place however delivers more than a straight forward missing person story - it delivers a glimpse of the corruption within the mining community whilst exploring teenage issues and the twists and turns ratchet up the suspense and excitement.
Released Oct 2014 PB £4.18, MP3/CD £11.80
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Missing-Place-Sophie-Littlefield/dp/1476757828/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424452868&sr=1-1&keywords=the+missing+place+sophie+littlefield

Vanished by Kendra Elliott
When Detective Mason Callahan's ex wife's, step daughter is abducted
we are introduced to a complex family structure   incuding step parents, maternal parents and step children. The step mother and maternal mother are at times at loggerheads, but mainly are supportive of each other.  This is an exciting story involving the FBI in a detailed investigation into child abduction.  Elliott introduces twists and turns to keep us guessing and it soonbecomes clear that this may not be a straightforward child abduction but may have motives that lie in the past and may be based on revenge.  If you like a touch of romance in with your crime this is one for you as Elliott skillfully insertsa romantic interest that doesn't over shadow the main crime element.  Fans of Karen Rose or Beverley Barton will love this.
Released June 2014 free on amazon unlimited , Kindle £3.49, PB £7.64
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vanished-Callahan-McLane-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00HNFD9VC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424453012&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Vanished+by+Kendra+Elliott

Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner
This is the 3rd in the Tessa Leoni/Wyatt Foster series and it's a belter!
Nicky Frank crashes her car and injured and concussed announces to the first responders that they must find Vero.  Despite their best efforts no-one can find Vero and when Nicky's husband Thomas denies her existence Detective Wyatt Foster immediately suspects some sort of foul play.  In Crash and Burn Gardner intuitively depicts a believable 'amnesia' victim scenario that exposes a maternal link in all it's frailties.  A psychological thriller not afraid to dig deep into our emotions to deliver an excellent story full of twists and turns.  But, for me what made it so poignant was the scenes written in Vero's voice- visceral, heart wrenching and chilling all at once.  Another brilliant read from Gardner with DD Warren having a limited cameo role.
Released Feb 2015 kindle £5.99, HB £7.49
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crash-Burn-Lisa-Gardner-ebook/dp/B00NT7YO1W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424453184&sr=1-1&keywords=Crash+and+Burn+by+Lisa+Gardner

Hold Still by Lisa Regan
Detective Jocelyn Rush, single mum to her adoptive daughter is being stalked by a man leaving origami cranes behind.  She is also involved in the investigation of women who are being raped and then crucified.  When the two investigations converge Jocelyn realises she has a personal link to the cases dating back to an incident from her past where she feels betrayed by her own mother.  Hold Still is action packed, tense and still manages to have a chunk of Romance.  Well plotted and compelling.  I'd recommend it to Beverly Barton or Mary Burton Fans. Released Nov 2014 Free on Kindle unlimited £3.98 Kindle, £8.99 PB
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hold-Still-Lisa-Regan-ebook/dp/B00KLKEXQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424952564&sr=8-1&keywords=hold+still+by+lisa+regan

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