I wasn't able to finish this book, so I decided not to review it on my site or any of the major retailers/Goodreads.

A Missing Girl DS Aector McAvoy Can’t Forget

Detective Sargeant Aector McAvoy is picnicking with his family. It should be a relaxing afternoon, but Aector is obsessed. Hannah Kelly disappeared nine months ago. She is presumed to have been in the place where Aector and his family are enjoying the afternoon. Aector can’t stop going over the facts of her disappearance. He wants to find her, but he fears she’s dead. Then his phone rings. Another girl, Ava Delaney, has been found dead in circumstances similar to Hannah’s. When he gets the facts, he feels the two cases are connected.

Aector’s boss Trish Pharoah also has problems. She’s drinking too much. Her teenage daughter is rebelling, and her husband has suffered a stroke and needs constant care. On top of this Trish’s career is in danger. Ruben Hollow has just been released from prison. Trish put him there based on tainted evidence for a murder that turned out to be self-defense.

The book starts rather slowly. We’re introduced to Aector and his obsession with the dead girl. Then there’s a lengthy description of Trish’s problems. However, when the action starts the pace increases. As the threads come together, it’s hard to put the book down.

Aector is a gentle giant who is almost too good to be true. He loves his wife and family and is dedicated to his job. In many respects, Trish, who has many conflicts, is the more interesting character. This book is a somewhat unique police procedural where character development is on a par with searching for the murderer.

I enjoyed the book. The plot has several threads and may seem confusing at first, but the author deftly weaves them together for a satisfying ending.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

This is about darker than my usual read but that was kind of what I was looking for. What didn't work for me was the style of the book itself. I found the mystery of what happened to Hannah compelling and at first I wanted to find out what happened but after about ten percent I found I just didn't care anymore. I love a police procedural and I enjoy a dark and twisty plot and I don't expect my police detectives to be likable but McAvoy and I just didn't get along from the first. He had that dark convoluted feel of an unreliable narrator but I don't think he was supposed to be unreliable. As well there's a lot going on with McAvoy's obsession with the old case as well as what is happening in the current time line with new cases, old cases, and politics. Overall this didn't end up being a book I enjoyed and after about 20% I decided it was time to put it down. I wasn't invested in the plot and just wasn't enjoying the reading experience. However, if you enjoy darker police procedurals with a bit of a psychological spin you might enjoy this one.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book early. I however at this time am not able to finish it. It is just a little too graphic and intense for me, and the mention of grown men sleeping with minor children is a no go topic for me. While I felt like it was written well, it is just not the right type of book for me.