This sounded so promising but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it's because it's part 9 in a series (didn't know this when I started it) so some things from previous books didn't make sense to me. Maybe I should have started the series from the start. Did not finish

Got a bit confused but over all I enjoyed the story to the point where I will be checking out more from this author

Well done and twisty tale in which the city of Glasgow is almost a character in itself. Ramsay has a nice way of capturing the urgency of a kidnapping case. A good read.

Started really strong and hooked me in with the disappearance of sholto. Lost me a little when the scenes changed as didn’t seem enough delineation to allow me to notice we’d moved on, but overall good story.

Due to a passing in the family a few years ago and my subsequent health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for years after the bereavement. Thank you for the opportunity.

Gritty, fast paced, edge of the seat and exciting. Really enjoyed this. Despite not having read any in the series before this was no problem. Enjoyed

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

When a six week old infant is stolen, it will lead to all kinds of stuff in this investigation. Turns out this is the 9th book in the series, but I didn't have a problem with that. Then it dives pretty deep, into issues with getting pregnant. So who's the baby that replaced the stolen child? Why would anyone do that? DI Costello is going to solve this case as she is determined to protect the babies. Some deep issues are touched up on this book, but the things that would cause readers trauma are not on the page. They are just pointed out and needed for the plot. I found this book to be good enough that I think I would like the entire series. So now, let's find out who would swap babies, and most of all, why?

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book. This review is my own, left freely. A positive relive is never required.

Every mother’s worst nightmare but with a twist! The challenges with international travel have made me long to find other ways to transport myself and what better than a terrific addition to the Detectives Anderson and Costello Mystery. Yes this is book 9 but the chilling originality enables this to be read as a stand alone as well. I have friends who say no series to me and for this title, I say, you have to read this one!

I am always a fan of a well written police procedural, and was excited to read the latest in Caro Ramsay's compelling series featuring DCI Colin Anderson and DI Costello. The novel follows two cases: the first, the kidnapping of a six week old baby, and the second, a historical unsolved rape case.

What Caro Ramsay does so well is to make the reader care as much about the cases (and the victims) as they do about the personal lives of the police officers dealing with them, and it makes for a doubly compelling novel each time. I liked the multiple layers in this one, and the expert teasing out of clues and evidence - I always enjoy a crime novel more when I don't manage to predict the ending within the first third of the book, and this was the case here. A capable, deftly plotted, and well written thriller - nothing less than I would expect from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, who provided me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and would read more from this author. May have been first but won't he the last.

I really loved this book in a new to me author. The characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

I have not read anything by this author before. I found this book gripping from the first page and I will look out for more by this author.

2.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Digital for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

When I first requested this title through NetGalley I didn't know it was book 9 in an established series. Normally I like to start a series from the beginning but my TBR is so big that I finally just decided to read this title. Maybe it could be read as a stand-alone but I found myself wishing I had the background of Anderson and Costello from books 1-8. Regardless, I carried on.

There are a few storylines happening right away in this title. A trial for a murdered child doesn't go the way of justice and a 6-week old baby is kidnapped and replaced with a different baby of about the same age. Detective Anderson is on desk duty pursuing cold cases and Detective Costello is trying to adjust to investigating cases without Anderson next to her. A cold case that lands on Anderson's desk is traveling toward the kidnapped baby case, bringing Costello and Anderson back together as de facto partners. What could a cold case possibly have to do with a 6-week old baby switching? Following vague leads both Detectives begin to distinguish specific details that do tie together. In order to find the 6-week old who is missing, locate the 6-week old's family, and solve the cold case Anderson and Costello join teams and pursue justice.

There were a lot of moving parts, characters, and storylines happening in this one book. It felt a bit disjointed to me. It seemed as if Ramsay had all these great ideas and twists and turns, not just for the story but for character development, that she couldn't let go of or put a hold on so she wrote them all into one story. It made for a confusing read, trying to keep track of characters and which, if any, of the storylines they belonged to or crossed over into. While I didn't dislike the book, I also was indifferent to it. Given my TBR I think I will skip this series and call it good with this one title.

Took me a little while to get to grips with what was happening but once I did...boy oh boy was this thrilling, terrifying and exhausting all at the same time. Lots of characters to establish at first (which I think added to my confusion) but totally worth it.

The Suffering of Strangers by Caro Ramsay is book 9 in the Anderson and Costello series. A little one disappears under mysterious circumstances while left asleep in a car alone. Who took him and why? This book captivated me from the very first page. I was enthralled by the plot and amazed at the storytelling. But just as the story really began to unfold, it felt like the storytelling fell apart. It was really hard to read after reading the first quarter of the book. It became disjointed and hard to follow. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

A very busy book, lots going in made it a confusing read at times. I had to concentrate rerally hard to keep up with the story, but I did enjoy the book. Have not read any of Caro Ramsay's other books but will be looking them up.

While the plot and characters are intriguing, and I liked the Glasgow setting, I didn’t enjoy this as much as I might - but it hasn’t put me off reading earlier books in the series. Apart from anything else, I’m interested to learn more about the backstory of the characters. And this one ends in a cliffhanger... so I’m probably going to have to read the next, too.

This novel is part of a series which I did not realise when I requested it. It had a slow beginning and I was unable to get into the story so did not finish the book.

This is the 9th in the series apparently but I’d not have known!

Very well written thriller with some quite sensitive subjects that are well handled, had me on the edge of my seat and awake most of the night reading it. The detectives were great and I loved the characters, a really good read that keeps you guessing and hooks you from page one!

I’m off to try and get the earlier books online, fingers crossed!