This is the second instalment of DI Amy Winter and if you loved the first book you won’t be disappointed with the second.

DI Amy Winter is the child of a notorious murdering husband and wife but from the age of four she was raised by the Winter family and given a loving stable home.

This latest case covers a kidnap of 4 year old Ellen Curtis, the daughter of Dr Curtis, who ran trials on children back in the 1980’s. The kidnapper claims to be Luka, a child from the trials who was thought to have died during a fire whilst attending the trials. Did Luka really die in the fire ? If he did why is someone pretending to be him and cause pain and distress to Dr Curtis ?

This is a great read and you will have trouble not warming to the characters in this book, especially Amy !! This is very much a police procedural book but with so much more. A definite must read, along with the first in the series !!

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

This is the second installment in the DI Amy Winter series.
This is a superior psychological mystery thriller unlike any ordinary police procedure.

The plot is pacey, mysterious, and full of unexpected surprises.
The characters are well developed, real and engaging, so we care that much about them all the way.

This a highly recommended read without any reservations. This series is also best read in order to get a full sense of the characters and their development.

Thanks #Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love how Caroline Mitchell makes you wrestle with issues. She doesn't shy away from tough subjects, but rather forces you to look and think. Now that's not to say that she can't write a good yarn, because she can do that too. It takes a special author to dig at deep issues and entertain at the same time. I absolutely will be on the lookout for the next one in the series. I only wish this one had more Paddy. I love him!

A great book!
I read the first one of Amy Winters books and it was good. This one is a carry on and it gets better. A lot of links to the previous book, so I think it's helpful to read it first.

A lot of depth in this book, and there was a fair amount of edge of seat moments!

I can recommend this book

I really like where this series is going and I particularly like how DI Amy Winter’s character is evolving. I have recommended this series to a few people already. This book is fast and furious and although the ending of this was a little predictable I really didn’t care! Roll on book 3!

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this second book with DI Amy Winter, the topic was completely different to others in this genre, and it was interesting seeing it from the perpetrators view,

I hope this series continues for a good few books to come, seeing Amy settle more within her team, despite her horrific family background, and proving she is deserving of her job is fab, especially when she gets one up on the bad guys!

Highly readable, one where you have to read just one more chapter and find you’ve read half the book in one sitting!

This is one of those books that you just can’t put down. It is the sad story of a little boy who was snatched from his parents and used for cruel experiments in the name of medical research by an unscrupulous doctor and the chilling consequences. What a brilliant idea to have a detective inspector who is also the daughter of a pair of infamous serial killers! The story is a riveting and fast paced police procedural told in alternating timelines. The chase through the streets of London was totally heart-stopping, and I was actually holding my breath hoping for a favourable outcome!.

Although I have read several of Caroline Mitchell’s books in the past (loved the Jennifer Knight series!) I had not read the first in this DI Amy Winter series, and I wish I had. Although the back story is adequately explained in this second book, I felt that I would have enjoyed the book even more (if that is possible!) if I had read Truth and Lies first. It is now next on my TBR pile.

My thanks go to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in this new series by Caroline Mitchell, a police procedural with a twist. I really liked the first book in the series, Truth and Lies (five stars) and was excited to continue the series. DI Amy Winter is an interesting main character, and her back story as the child of serial killers is fascinating. Although it is not necessary to read the first book in the series to enjoy this book, the reader may want to read the first book for much more depth. This is a compelling story, going back between the mid-1980s and present day. It is a fast, easy read, and I can’t wait to read more of this fascinating story. I am also looking forward to reading other books from this wonderful author.

This was the first book from this author and although I enjoyed it I didn't realise that it was the second book about DI Amy Winter. I feel that maybe if I'd started with the first I would have understood the backstory of the character a little more. That being said, it was a very good gripping novel that kept me engaged throughout.
DI Amy is a strong-minded and brave person despite her horrible childhood, and she hunts down criminals whilst battles her demons.

I would definitely recommend this book, however, start with the first one 'Truth and Lies'.

The suspense and multiple POVs always keep the story moving forward and the reader from putting the book down without knowing what happens. I can't wait for the next one to know more about the cases DI Winter takes on as well as uncover more of the past that haunts not only her, but her sister Sally-Ann.

The Secret Child is the second book in Caroline Mitchell's DI Amy Winter police procedural series and like the first book this is a very good and entertaining read.

The story moves along at a pace and there are plenty of twists and turns which keep you hooked until the ending.

This series is proving to be a good one and The Secret Child is definitely recommended

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Last year I read Truth and Lies, the first novel in Caroline Mitchell's DI Amy Winter series. My eyes started to hurt so I took a break and realized I had read the first 16 chapters without stopping.

The Secret Child is the second novel in Mitchell's DI Amy Winter series. I learned my lesson from binge reading the first book and set a timer to remind myself to take a break from reading. I forced myself to take a few breaks but finished reading it in one day. It is not a very long book, 330 pags, but I just could not find a place to stop reading for the day. I just had to keep reading!

Detective Inspector Amy Winter returns with her high-priority crime unit tracking down a kidnapper. He is using the kidnappings to extract revenge on those who had used children for dangerous and illegal experimentation years ago. Also returning is Lillian Grimes, Winter's biological mother who is imprisoned for being half of a serial killer husband and wife team known as the Beasts of Brentwood.

The Secret Child is as riveting as Truth and Lies. Both are character-driven and fast-paced, suspenseful, and well written.


Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, and Amazon on or before 4/2/19. Will publish on Twitter, Facebook, and Barnes and Noble on its release date, April 18, 2019.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I saw this book was coming out. I read the first book in this series, Truth and Lies, only a few months ago and I found it to be a really enjoyable thriller. I am pleased to say that the sequel continues this trend.

My main concern upon finishing the first one was that I wasn't sure where the story could go. The main plot of Truth and Lies is that a detective discovers her birth mother is a serial killer and she must work with her secretly to uncover the locations of victims' bodies to give their families closure. This plot actually follows neatly on from this and the crime that must be solved involves a secret facility that experimented on children. One of these children supposedly died in a fire years ago but now someone claiming to be him is kidnapping children in the modern day and forcing their parents to play a deadly game to ensure their child's safe return. This plot wasn't quite as compelling to me as the first one but it did neatly incorporate the themes of children being lied to about their past and it offered some nice character moments for Amy, our main protagonist.

The writing in this continues to be of top quality. It was engaging and well-paced, although the plot was a lot more linear than the first book. While the first one had various intriguing subplots going on, this lacks pretty much any. That's not really a huge negative quality, it was just something missing that I had really enjoyed. There is sort of a subplot involving Amy's reporter ex-boyfriend but it's largely downplayed. Her serial killer mother is clearly going to play a large part in the next book but her presence in this one was a little intrusive and mostly seemed to serve to make sure we didn't forget who she was.

Overall, this is still a really enjoyable police procedural series and I am definitely excited for the next ones to come out. I appreciate police procedurals with consistent themes and interesting characters which this provides in spades. The crime of this could have been stronger but it was a great thriller on the whole.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

The second in the DI Amy Winters series did not disappoint me. A fast paced, well written book with excellent character development. While Amy investigates the case of two missing children, her own past comes under the spotlight when the public discover her mother is a serial killer. Amy is a great lead character and this would make a fabulous TV programme. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC. Reviews on Goodreads and Facebook with Amazon to follow on publication day.

This is the second book in the DI Amy Winter series but it can be read as a stand-alone. It is set around London and features child abduction. Can DI Amy Winter and her team bring back 4 year old Ellen quickly to the safety of her home? Will Amy drill down to the bottom of this mystery? Get ready for another British crime thriller from Caroline Mitchell.

I liked the research that Caroline has done to build the plot of her latest novel. I liked how she used the tale of the Little Albert Experiment from 1920 and the use of drugs like Methylphenidate to bring a sinister side to her story.

I liked once again how Caroline captured the cultures within the police service, the interview techniques they use and the procedures involved complying with PACE.

I found it lovely that Amy’s pet, Dotty the Pug was included as part of her home life. However, I did not find Amy’s private life as interesting as in the first book, Truth and Lies. Once again there was dialogue between Amy and her birth mother Lillian Grimes but this became a frustrating drag and I thought just why does Amy, or for that matter, Caroline bother?

Oh and onto pet hate time. Frustratingly this novel went back and forth between 1984 and the present time. Caroline even mentioned boring Brexit to give it an up to date feel but then chapter after chapter she floated back to 1984. Then you are in the situation of knowing more about the background to this story than DI Amy Winter and her team investigation the child abduction.

With Amy and her mother Lillian droning on and on about their past, I started to loose empathy with Amy. Nothing exciting really happened in her private life and I feel her character has become a little tired.

I have read 4 other books from Caroline Mitchell, including Truth and Lies which was the first DI Amy Winter novel. Each of those books for me was a 5 star OUTSTANDING read. However, although I found The Secret Child to be a GOOD read, I did not enjoy it as much as the others, so it gets a highly respectable 4 stars from me.

When Nicole’s 4-year-old daughter is kidnapped she receives 4 phials instead of a ransom. One is poisoned, three are safe. If she drinks one her daughters location will be revealed. To add more mystery the kidnapper is supposed to be dead. DI Amy Winter is desperate to save the kidnapped child, especially as she failed to save the children her serial killer parents murdered when she was just a child herself.

I fell in love with Caroline Mitchell’s work last year and she is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. The first book in the Amy Winter series was incredible and I highly recommend picking that up first to really learn about Amy and her horrendous childhood.

As for this book, it did not disappoint. It’s well written and I could not put it down. It makes you switch between rage and true sadness for how a group of children were treated. Caroline makes you empathise with the bad guy and my heart honestly hurt for him. I did guess the supposed twist but it didn’t ruin the story.

I love that we get to learn about Amy's personal life as well as her work and the balance is perfect. The characters are all very human and Amy’s team are extremely likeable. I cannot wait to see what lies in store for Amy’s personal life.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

This is a really impressive series. DI Amy Winter is a fascinating creation; the daughter of a serial murderer, her personal life is in turmoil and yet she has to cope with incredible challenges in her professional life. When children are kidnapped and the suspect is a Russian who is reported to have died years before, Amy and her team are faced with a daunting and chilling case. Well-written and gripping, I look forward to further instalments.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so was keen to read this one. It certainly didn't disappoint. DI Amy Winter found out that she was actually the child of serial killers Jack and Lilian Grimes (based on the real life monsters Fred and Rose West). In this book she is trying to keep this knowledge from her work colleagues, although her ex fiancé, a journalist, has been talking to Lilian about publishing her story ahead of an appeal. In the meantime, Amy and her team are trying to find a little girl who has been kidnapped. She is the daughter of Dr Curtis, who it soon transpires was responsible for some illegal drug trials on children back in the 80s. Could the kidnapper possibly be Luka, who was brought from Russia as a small boy to participate in Dr Curtis' experiments? This is a real page turner that will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

The Secret Child, the second book in DI Amy Winter series, is another fast-paced crime suspense/thriller. Once again, I was sitting on the edge of my seat and reading this quite entertaining book. Caroline Mitchell did not disappoint, and I am happy to say that she still is one of my favorite authors in this genre. If you are looking for a gripping suspense that has some police procedural theme in it, and if you are ready to neglect some of your housework then you should definitely read this book. In addition, there is a cliffhanger at the end, so I think we will see next book in the series soon.
Thank you NetGalley, Amazon Publishing, and the author, Caroline Mitchell, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Secret Child by Caroline Mitchell
is the second book in the DI Amy Winters series, i haven't read the first one but think i will go back and read it now.
Wow what a great read this was.
Amy's father has recently died. She's grieving her beloved father only to find out he's her adoptive father, her actual parents are notorious serial killers Lillian and Jack Grimes. While amy is trying to come to terms with this news. A 4 year old  girl, Ellen, is kidnapped during a house fire. This leaves Ellens parents confused as to who would do this.  Until her mother, Nicole, receives a package from the kidnapper, with instructions on what to do and if she follows through the kindapper will contact the police.
Nicole follows through and the kidnapper who says he's Luka contacts the police and insists that he only communicates with DI Amy Winters. Luka knows that she's the daughter of child serial killers. Amy's bioligical father is dead but her mother is still causing havoc from behind bars.  Lillian is awaiting a retrail and is using Amy's ex boyfriend Adam to publish her version of the serial Killings bringing unwanted attention to amy as she's trying to solve the kidnapping.  Amy isn't sure if this is actually Luka, he burned to death in a fire at the curtis institute  while he was undergoing psychological experiments as a child by none other then Dr.Curtis who happens to be Ellens father.  While Amy and her team are investigating another child goes missing who also has ties to the curtis institute. Could this be the work of Luka afterall? Amy is a driven DI and is confident her team will find the answers and bring the children home safely
Mitchell  did such an amazing job in this fast paced read, it was definately a book that i didn't want to put down it started off with a bang to grab my attention then I found myself needing to keep going to find out what was going go happen next. Can't wait to see what DI Amy Winters is  up to next.  I give this book 4🌟
Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.