From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the third book in Carol Wyer's Detective Natalie Ward series, and each book has been fantastic...one more addicting and thrilling than the previous one! I was a huge fan of Carol Wyer's DI Robyn Carter series and while I was bummed to see that series come to an end, I can absolutely say I am loving this new series, especially since it has another strong female lead!

I think what I love most about this series is that the character development is top notch. Carol Wyer continues to build her characters and we see that in each and every book. I love Detective Natalie Ward and I love that we really see just how hard it is for her to balance work and life. She loves her job and loves her family, but it's hard for her to juggle the two, and it doesn't help that things are not great between her and her husband - I so wish she would just kick him out! I would if it were me...but that's just me. I do like that we see how she is constantly dealing with issues of trust when it comes to him...and that this has been an on-going issue.

I love when we get the perspective of the killer thrown into the mix of storytelling. To me, it just amps up the tension and suspense. I always try to see if I can figure out who it is, based on any clues the author might throw in, but I was not successful this time. But still, these segments were chilling and eerie and I loved it!

The case that Natalie and her team were involved in was every parents worst nightmare and ended up hitting quite close to Natalie herself. It really reinforces the idea that parents don't always know every little thing their children are up to, especially when it comes to what they are doing online. I don't have children, but I have a ton of nieces and nephews and this scares me so much. You can't monitor them 24/7, but at the same time, you do have to be aware. This case preyed on a parent's fear and I felt that come across in this book.

The books in this series can all be read as stand-alones, but I think they work so much better if you read the books in order. You get a much richer reading experience, and you will fall in love with these characters, I promise! I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, The Sleepover, which is out in September...these books are so addicting and binge-worthy. They keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out just what is going on. Have you read this series yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

This is Book 3 in the DI Natalie Ward series and this series is one of my favourite detective series . Like the previous 2 books this was another excellent read. From the first page I was glued to this book. Highly recommend.

A solid thriller with a unique back story. Teens are "dared" to disappear for 48 hours only to be found dead. As the police investigate each murder, it becomes very clear that the killer's game is accelerating. When Detective Ward's daughter becomes one of the disappeared, her actions become frantic. Overall a good book well worth reading.

THE DARE is the third book in the Detective Natalie Ward series, a riveting crime-thriller by Carol Wyer. In this novel, the author addresses the issue of the dark side of social media.

In The Dare, Natalie and her team investigate a case involving missing girls. The police work to find the first missing girl, and soon learn they are too late to save her. Another girl goes missing, and the clock is ticking to find who is responsible for the horrific crimes.

When thirteen-year-old Savannah Hopkins doesn’t come straight home from school, as she always does, her mother Jane immediately raises the alarm.

Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward whose daughter Leigh is the same age as Savannah. Soon Natalie’s worst fears are confirmed when the teenager’s broken body is found in nearby shrubland.

Evidence points towards a local hermit, but just as the net is closing around him, one of Savannah’s friends, Harriet, is reported missing.

Natalie investigates into the lives of both girls, and discovers a video on their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours.

Harriet’s body is discovered a day later.

Then when Natalie’s own daughter, Leigh goes missing after school, she knows that she must catch this killer before her little girl becomes the next victim.

This fast- paced police procedural with engaging plot provides unique twists and turns to maintain the

This novel is sure to have an impact, especially if you are a parent.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley for my digital copy.

This was my first time reading a book in the Detective Natalie Ward series, overall I would say i enjoyed it. The only thing I was slightly disappointed with was the ending. I found it very abrupt and it wasn't a very satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC

Another gem from Carol Wyer who is an absolute star when it comes to building suspense. Centring on two teenage girls, this book conjured up many emotions, and made it really clear how manipulative social media can be.

A thumping good read 4* stars

The Dare is the third book in the Natalie Ward series following the titular detective. I haven't read the other books in the series but I managed OK without the previous knowledge, although I do think it'd be best to read book one and two first.

I enjoyed the book, with its twists and turns and focus on the influence of social media, specifically on the younger generations.

I will continue to read the series and will also go back to the rest of the novels as well.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The third book in the Natalie ward series and I'm really enjoying them. Carol Wyer writes a brilliant detective novel and this one doesn't disappoint.
A teenage girl goes missing, later found murdered. Closely followed by a second - what is the connection? Then Natalie discovers the "Disappear" website, could the girls have been playing a dangerous game and who is encouraging them?
I loved all the investigative work into the potential suspects and was pleased to see some of the characters from the previous books returning.
Can't wait for the next one.

Wow, this book grabbed on and did not want to let me go until I had finished the entire thing. What an utterly fantastic read. Cannot wait for another in this series.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

A great page turner with pace and tension that kept me turning the pages until the end. Really enjoying this detective series by Carol Wyer. Thanks to NG and the publisher for the advance copy,

Thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and the author for an ARC copy of number 3 in the Natalie Ward series.

Jane’s daughter is a good girl. What is she hiding?

When thirteen-year-old Savannah Hopkins doesn’t come straight home from school, as she always does, her mother Jane immediately raises the alarm.

Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward whose daughter Leigh is the same age as Savannah. Soon Natalie’s worst fears are confirmed when the teenager’s broken body is found in nearby shrub land.

Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as the net is closing around him, one of Savannah’s friends, Harriet, is reported missing.

As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours.

But Natalie isn’t quick enough for this killer, and she is devastated to find Harriet’s body on a fly tip a day later.

Caught up in the case, she takes her eye off her own daughter and when Leigh goes missing after school she knows she must be in terrible danger. The clock is ticking for Natalie. Can she catch this killer before her little girl becomes the next victim?

The Dare really taps into the idea of the influence of Social media and the desire of the younger generation to be seen to be strong, brave and right on the edge of whatever mad craze is currently fashionable. In this case, it is the craze for completing challenges of dares, such as the ice bucket challenge, in a bid to garner popularity and some kind of fame status amongst their peers that puts young girls in grave danger.

Di Natalie Ward is a character you have to love especially as she has such a "normal" private life, the problems with her private life and her determination in her work add to this story.

Well paced thriller and this book proves we do have a collection of great police drama/thriller authors with Angela Marsons, Robert Bryndza, Patricia Gibney, Mel Sherratt to name a few.

Four days

The Dare is Carol Wyer's 3rd book in the Natalie Ward series. Though the central characters are well established, this can be read as a standalone. Amongst the many thrillers & police procedurals, The Dare sets itself apart with some clever writing, strong characters and some unique twists to a solid plot.

When teenaged girls start going missing, the pressure is on DI Ward to find the killer before he strikes again. But as she starts closing in on the killer, the killer starts closing in on her.

At the heart of the book, it is a solid police procedural. The plot may feel slightly predictable at the start but the writer manages to give it some unique twists. The writing is engaging and the pace is fast. The writer was able to build the tension throughout and all the suspects remained in play till the end. The depiction of working of the police force, the office politics and family pressures were accurate, which allows the readers to experience a proper police investigation, with far little clues and many dead ends. I also liked the perspective of the killer and his backstory, which was really well written.

I think this is the first detective story I have read that tackles the issue of the dark side of social media (remember the Blue Whale Challenge). I loved the fact that the author chose to address this frightening and real threat through this book.

Another unique thing about the novel is that forensic evidence takes a back seat in the entire investigation. The entire investigation is through ‘old school’ interrogations and checking out alibis and CCTV footage. With clues hard to come by, this added a different dimension to the novel.

Even as a police procedural, this story relies on some strong characters to drive the story forward. I regret not reading the earlier parts as tracking the characters over the course of the series would have been great. The protagonist, Natalie Ward is a strong character herself but she is not the center of attention all throughout, and like some good teamwork, her other colleagues get an equal scope.

Overall, The Dare is a gripping thriller with some well-rounded characters and a well-written story with some unique twists. If you like a good police procedural, you will enjoy this.

Many thanks to the publishers Bookouture, the author Carol Wyer and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a modern thriller and it's the third DI Natalie Ward book.I think it's a brilliant storyline which kept me on the edge of my seat.

This is book 3 in the Detective Natalie Ward series and I have thoroughly enjoyed each book and am looking forward to at least two more in this series that I know she has written and are waiting to be published.

'The Dare' is called Disappear, and found on an online website which is encouraging people to disappear for 1 or more days, teenagers are all for doing crazy dares, but this one is leaving their loved ones to completely freaked out with worry. Are the children doing the dare or is it something more serious. 

This story had so many twists and false leads during the hunt for the person who is kidnaping and murdering children, that everyone was a suspect.  Natalie is still having problems at home, I personally think she should cut and run, but she is a good mum, who is worried about how the conflict with her husband is affecting her children. She's now also concerned for her daughter's safety with this criminal on the loose and being a typical teenager, she's not being very communicative.

As Natalie tries to figure out how the children are connected, we get little pieces of the killers past and his thoughts in short chapters interspersed through the story.

Carol Wyer had me guessing until the end who it was that was the killer, with so many people acting suspiciously and keeping secrets, Detective Natalie Ward has a big job to sort it all out in time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Sorry to write this but one month on still
At 5%. Just was not grabbing my attention which is a shame as a huge fan of carol
Wyer but will carry on reading her books. Had to move on too many books in the world

Detective Natalie Ward is investigating a case revolving around 3 missing teenage girls...the body of one girl is found, which is traumatic to say the least as Natalie has two teenage children of her own.


The pressure is on to find the killer before any more die…….

They find an online game, The Dare, which the missing girls had all visited...is this why they have disappeared…..is it just a game?

A dark, twisty thriller to keep you on tenterhooks and a need to keep your children close…..

Thank you to the publishers, the author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook and this is my honest and unbiased review.

Always love these books and this one is no exception. A great read and I look forward to more in the series.

This is the third book in the DI Natalie Ward series, and just having finished the first book I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. This book I finished in one sitting, and loved all the twists and twirls it send me on.
Natalie has to investigate the disappearance of young girls, who then turns up dead. Soon it comes to light that there is a serial killer on the loose. One that loves using modern apps against the teenagers.
Highly recommended.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, Carol Wyer, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Dare in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
What an incredible read. I couldn't put it down until the very end.
The storyline was well thought out and written with well developed characters and a rollercoaster plot.
Well worth a read.