Last Seen by Joy Kluver

I can see her, laughing as she swings as high as she can, her beautiful blonde curls flying out behind her. My little girl. If only I’d listened to my gut. Then maybe she’d be safe here with me…
 
When five-year-old Molly Reynolds is snatched from the park in the small village of Otterfield, Detective Bernadette ‘Bernie’ Noel throws herself into the search, sick with worry for the quiet, sensitive little girl and her distraught mother.
 
Wasting no time, Bernie finds a small green cardigan under a bush in the park. It still has the smiley face sticker Molly won that week at school. It’s the first in a chain of clues – and Bernie can’t shake the feeling that it was left deliberately, as a message.  
 
But Bernie encounters a wall of silence. Otterfield is a close-knit community, yet no one in the village has anything to say about the missing child. And Bernie is sure there is something Molly’s mother isn’t telling her either. Why?
 
And then she makes a chilling discovery: twenty-five years ago, another little girl went missing from the area. Her name was Sophie, and all they ever found of her was her teddy bear, hidden under a bush, just the same as Molly’s cardigan. Now Bernie knows she’s in a race against time to save Molly’s life.
 
Bernie’s team work round the clock to find a connection between the two girls – but when they find their proof it comes at the price of a shocking tragedy that strikes right at the heart of the case. Molly’s family have been hiding a secret, and now their little girl is in greater danger than ever.
 
Then Bernie makes one deadly mistake that places her right in the hands of the most dangerous criminal she’s ever faced. She was willing to go to any lengths to solve the case – but will she stay alive long enough to do it?
 
A completely addictive crime thriller with mind-blowing twists that will have you reading late into the night. If you like Val McDermid, D.S. Butler or Angela Marsons, you’ll love Joy Kluver.
 
See what readers are saying about Last Seen:
‘Wow!! Just wow!!… This book is brilliant! More than brilliant, amazing!!!… absolutely gripping, addictive and captivating… I was absolutely hooked from the first page to the last. I had a complete shock at the twists… Love, love, loved all the characters!!!… I would love to see this made into a movie and cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.’ Bookworm86 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I am blown away by this book, the twists and turns are mind boggling!… BRILLIANT… if I could I would give it more than 5* Excellent.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Twisted, intense and heartbreaking… once you start this book you just can’t put it down! Out of all the books that I have read this year none of them shocked me as much as this one had. There was one twist that I literally was yelling and screaming at the character!!!’ Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
‘Oh wow! This is an awesome read… has you burning the midnight oil… I am impatiently awaiting her next book.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Brilliant… had me eagerly turning the pages as I not only wanted to know more about the crime but also about the investigating team… I adored this… A story that takes a dark turn, has several surprises and kept me on my toes.’ Vonnibee ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Brilliant read. One of the best detective books I have read in ages. Great storyline… Great characters… Can’t wait for the next instalment.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘From the first page it grabs your attention and holds it right to the end. I read this book very quickly… as I was so engrossed… Brilliant plot with lots of twists and turns… and a great cast of characters with pasts to die for.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐