The Dare is the third book in the DI Natalie Ward series and the strongest novel in terms of characterization, in my opinion. Natalie is as busy as ever, mother to two, wife to a husband with issues, and super cop with a good team. I remember how detached I’d felt from our main character during my read of Last Lullaby (review here!). It wasn’t due to Natalie being a simplistic and uninteresting character. On the contrary, I love how Carol did not play the card to make Natalie perfect, or perfectly imperfect, to win people’s heart. Natalie makes mistakes, she can appear cold, and frankly, I had issues getting into her head before. This new installment in the series allowed me to get closer to her, and for this only, The Dare is a winner.

Could the fact teenage girls are involved be the reason why Natalie is growing on me? No. No maternal instinct was involved, although the case had my stomach churning and my head spinning with nightmarish images. No, I think I can finally connect to Natalie because I have enough bits and pieces of her to create a portray of her in my head. Don’t get me wrong, the previous books introduce you to Natalie the right way. But it is a different way that the one we’re used to in this kind of police procedurals. This time, I didn’t only come up with a physical image, but also a good idea of her personality, and a real sense of what she is dealing with. I think Carol Wyer did a wonderful job creating such a female character. It was a risk, of course, but revealing her the way she does, a few crumbs of doughnut at a time, putting Natalie on a pedestal the reader needs to climb to get an idea of who is hiding behind the glassy surface, is simply brilliant. Alternating between professional Nat and personal Nat, I got the full picture of her life for the first time, and the bonds between her and her family, as well as her team, felt genuine, more authentic, and echoed what I believe to be a very close call to real life.

The Dare… Have you ever played Truth or Dare? I know I did. A very very very long time ago. Before my first white hair. But I never was a daring kid. Let alone a daring teenager! However, a small part of me remembered the feeling of doing something others wouldn’t, or didn’t think I could do, and I recalled the thrill of the act. Teens are stupid, we know it. All those hormones, all those reactions to events they can’t control. It reminds me of adults, except we’re better at hiding how clueless we are about life, haha!

Where was I? Yes! Daring… Have you heard about the games kids these days play? Can you keep up with what’s happening in youngsters’ lives? I know I can’t. It frightens me! I think I wouldn’t survive the heavy load of motherhood! I find myself fascinated by parents/children relationships and the gap that growing up creates. One day, you are your kids’ hero, the next you are their worst enemy. Carol Wyer uses it, letting real-life teenagers spring off the page to play their part in a deadly investigation. I failed at not caring! I blame the author’s true understanding of all players, tugging at the heartstrings while never falling for the easy way of bad kids/bad parents. Good kids take bad decisions, it happens all the time. Good parents make mistakes. And some people take advantage of it.

If many crime fiction books play with a certain pace, The Dare is setting new records! One girl disappears, only to be found very quickly, and very dead. Before you know it, another one follows, and the hours pile up, stretching days with a dangerous mix of adrenaline and fatigue. With lives in danger and a team running in circles, I couldn’t help but bite my lips and let my eyes drive as fast as they could on the words’ road, only to witness things get personal for Natalie. I was past the ‘completely addicted’ level at this point!

An abrupt stop. A gasp. And I think this is the exact moment I thought ‘I like her’. I admired Natalie’s way of dealing with every wall of her life cracking down. My heart was racing, and I am absolutely sure I would never have been able to handle things the way she did. I can’t and won’t say much about the investigation because, with every series, I believe you need to discover those things yourself, but believe me, it is entirely worth it to meet Natalie, fight her, and finally fall for her! This time again, the author delights us with a fabulous book! I can’t wait to know what happens next! The Dare is a brilliant and deathly over-the-speed limit ride!

I dared reading, and I put you to the challenge! Will you?

There are so many thrillers on the market and each has a similar, ubiquitous statement made about them, so much so that I've become immune to their claims or pull as many turn out to be anything but thrilling. However, the third in the Detective Natalie Ward series lives up to the thriller label and then some; by far the strongest of this series so far. This is an engrossing read right from the start and I have massive appreciation for Wyer's character building in which she crafts flawed, realistic individuals who you really get behind through this journey.

Despite it being a horrific tale it is beautifully told with all the twists, turns and red herrings required to keep you guessing and off-kilter. The missing child trope is well loved in the genre but Wyer does it very well, I must admit. The emotional is there, the compassionate characters, the evil personified and of course the devasted family awaiting news. There is plenty to get your teeth into in this page-turner. Recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Parenting seems so hard. It is harder for the parents in this book because their teenage girls are vanishing then being found dead. Who would want to kill such young girls and why? These are the questions that Detective Natalie and her team have to figure out as they take on one of their most complex cases yet.

I enjoy multifaceted cases even if they do give me headaches at times. In this case, I would never have guessed the perp even if I had read the book upside down. I had to work the case with Natalie, follow the clues and the interviews leading to the culprit. I had many suspects along the way but I totally missed the right one. This person wasn’t even on my radar. That is how complex the case was and yes, despite the sensitivity of the case, I enjoyed working on this one with Natalie.

I love how Carol’s books are realistically portrayed. There are no convenient, easy conclusions. The twists are realistic and logic, you get to understand how the unsub committed the crimes and how Natalie put together the pieces. The investigation is systematic as the author takes readers through each day of the investigation. This made the case stand out for me.

The Dare is book 3 in the Detective Natalie series and I definitely recommend reading the series in order. I am finally warming up to Natalie. Now, I can also keep the names of her team straight and I am curious to know what will happen in their personal lives in the next installment. It is for that reason that I believe that this series is better enjoyed if read in order. Definitely recommended.

Carol Wyer has done it again, raised the bar so high with this book that I wonder how she would top this up with her next.

The main character DI Natalie Ward and her team have slogged hard in this book, worked day and night, looking at miles of footage of CCTV to find the tiniest of clues. Believe me, this was done on absolutely no sleep and junk food from vending machine. Why did this strike me, you ask? Because Carol has personalized them so much that they now feel like people I know, people I work with.

I love books like these where I can don my detective hat, sift through the clues, try to understand the forensics, and give my pointed, accusatory stare at the suspects. I have yet to interrogate them, but reading Carol's book is like looking at the interview through the one way mirror.

The story went thus, girls were disappearing every day and found dead near the dumpster the next. 3 girls, 3 days. And then came Natalie's daughter Leigh, she disappeared when her mom was at work... So it was race against time to get to the murderer. I loved Natalie's fortitude and professionalism in the face of such a crisis. I was in awe of her. I loved the way her personal life unfolded in this. Didn't like the husband much. He was meh!!

In every book in this series, the author has taken a social aspect and used her magical craftiness and plotted the story. This time too, Carol has used the new craze of a website daring each other to do weird (read this as stupid, every day I hear one such deed) stuff, and that gives evil to hiss and crawl, constrict its coils around the victim slowly one by one, strangulating life and squeezing the breath

Whew!! That was the book in short, sounds fun, doesn't it? Get it, read it, and enjoy it!

This is my first time reading the DI Natalie Ward series, but the story reads perfectly as a standalone. You soon become familiar with the recurrent characters and their motivations and hangups.

The story is easy to read and realistic. There is a killer in the town preying on young girls. The girls have secrets, hidden from their mothers and this duplicity makes them vulnerable and susceptible to the evil that surrounds them.

There are multiple suspects and sketchy alibis and each delay bring the possibility of another innocent life taken closer. DI Natalie Ward is a dedicated officer, trying to balance her demanding career with troubled home life. There are notable parallels between her teenagers and the victims, which leads to a dangerous collision of personal and professional life that could end in tragedy for the detective.

The fast pacing complements the relentless menace of the abductions and killings. There is a good balance of action and detection and the suspense builds with every incident making this an addictive story. The characterisation makes the protagonist and the minor characters come to life. You feel their emotions and empathise with them

This is a contemporary story, the issues raised face each parent of teenagers and pre-teens, the power and anonymity of social media and the internet is explored in a believable and thought-provoking way. There are no stereotypes here.

The clever plot has the killer playing a game of ‘cat and mouse’ with the detective team, with dangerous stakes and a rising body count. Enhanced with an authentic setting and a cast of realistically flawed characters, this is a riveting noir crime thriller.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Dare is fast-paced, compelling and very readable indeed. I raced through it – desperate to find out who could possibly be behind these terrible deeds. The killer plans immaculately, leaving no clues at all; this police team hasn’t ever had a case with so little evidence before. DI Natalie Ward and her team are completely baffled – and while they flounder, more teenagers go missing. As well as the gripping police/crime story, Carol Wyer explores relationships – between spouses, parents and their children, as well as between ex-lovers. Then there are fascinating relationships between different members of the police team that add interest and complexity. Natalie is tough and totally dedicated but also vulnerable and insightful. While accusing one parent of not paying attention to his daughter, Natalie herself questions her own role as a mother of two teenagers. And her children are not her only problem on the home front…. Throughout the book we read ominous musings from the killer and learn more about their back story, which adds to the suspense. There are a number of possible (and very probable) suspects, all with connections to the missing girls, and I was led all over the place by this very skilled author. Highly recommended reading!

"The Dare" by Carol Wyer

5 stars and more!
BRILLIANT !!!
This was an awesome fast paced read!
I'm impressed... The attention to details, police procedure, the line of questioning the suspects, the characters... everything was just PERFECT !

Well written, so captivating I didn't want to put it down! I always wanted to know what's happening next...

I loved it from page 1!

I can't wait to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

What would you do if your daughter went missing?

What would you do when she turned up after 48 hours and stated she had been taking part in a social media craze?

What would you do if your daughter went missing for 48 hours, and you were hoping she was taking part in the craze, but was then found murdered?

Social media is responsible for a lot these days and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to the trends, or should I say they are influenced.

What a concept to set a murder story around, and Carol Wyer has pulled it off to perfection.

The first girl to go missing, and later turn up dead is Savannah, and her mom will always blame herself for not being home when she should have been.

This is where DI Natalie Ward and her team start the investigation. An investigation that will be hindered by the social media trend, some of the girls going missing are simply hiding away for effect. Others are not so fortunate.

So, is somebody using the missing for 48 hour game to find their victims, or is there a murderer who is targeting random teenage girls.

As Natalie and her team carry out the investigation they uncover the secret lives that teenage girls keep from their parents, and I couldn’t help but think how realistic that is.

Shop lifting and dating older men are just two of the things these girls have been up to, and the perceived loyalty of their friends in keeping secret their slightly nefarious activities is hindering the Police’s investigation.

As girls go missing, and bodies start to be found, the team are in a race against time to identify the killer.

But has this killer found the best way yet of putting the Police of their scent. Not every missing girl ends up dead, but they all need investigating and its taking time. Time the Police can’t afford to waste on false leads.

Natalie is very aware of the lives of teenagers as she is the mother of two of them, and receives very little support from her husband in bringing them up.

In fact Natalie’s home life is slowly going down the pan and its beginning to distract her at a time when she least needs distracting.

Will she keep her mind on the game? Will she and her team, identify the killer before the body count gets out of hand?

This is book three in the DI Natalie Ward Series. All three have been brilliant stories, and have all had very original plots. The story of Natalie hooks me as nearly as much as the crimes she’s solving.

As a character Natalie Ward stands out as being one of the most realistic. Her problems are everyday problems, her family is a normal family, but her husband has got a problem and its driving a wedge between them.

The thing I find about these books is how on point they are. The issues with social media are very current and are most parents nagging worries with their teenagers, and Carol Wyer exploits that fear in this book.

The problem her husband has is one of Britain’s growing problems, he’s a gambler, and a again Carol explores the problems with living with somebody who’s gambling in a brilliant manner.

Yes this is book 3 in the series, but it can be read as a stand-alone.

My recommendation would be read all three, in fact if you are looking for some books to read around the pool, or on the beach this summer, get all three and save them to binge read. You won’t be disappointed.

Pages: 378

Publisher: Bookouture

The Dare is the third book in the DI Natalie Ward series by the prolific Carol Wyer and like its predecessors it is another excellent police procedural with many twists and turns.

The main characters are well established and the author uses both their work and home lives to add to the main storylines.

The writing is well paced and you get a good feeling of the team being against the clock as they undertake their investigations.

The book keeps you turning (or clicking) the pages and despite this being the third book published in the last 12 months or so there are no signs of any drop off in quality.

Overall this book is highly recommended and I look forward to reading the next book when it is published

The third book in the Detective Natalie Ward series by Carol Wyer. In <i>The Dare</i>, 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 race is on to find who is behind the terrible crimes.

This is a crime mystery series, but it interweaves some of the investigators personal stories. In this book, Natalie's marriage is strained and she feels disconnected from her two teen children. Since Natalie has a young teen daughter, she feels more of a personal connection to this case. The mystery is good, and the addition of more personal details makes Natalie a stronger character.

A great series for fans of police procedurals. <i>The Dare</i> is a good book in this series, though I did enjoy the first two books a little more than this one. This is a series I look forward to reading, and I can't wait for the next book. A complex and gripping page-turner.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really good series. This book is about 3 missing girls. There are a few suspects and in a gritty action packed story Natalie and her team work out who the culprit is. The whole book is very cleverly written and well thought out. There are a lot of interesting characters with good back stories. This all adds to the believability of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Rating: 5 thrilling stars

Oh man, this was a wild ride. To my ever-loving happiness, 'The Dare' was actually a *thrilling* Thriller. (Hurrah!) Maybe I’ve become jaded, but it seems like more often than not lately, a book billed as a Thiller doesn’t actually hold my attention as much as I think it should. That was not the case with this book.

This is the third book in Carol Wyer’s British 'Detective Natalie Ward' series. I read the second book in the series, ‘Last Lullaby', a couple of months ago. I really enjoyed it. So I was, ahem, 'thrilled' when I received ‘The Dare’ as an eArc from NetGalley.

Once again Carol Wyer kept me involved with a fast-paced story that was a clever mix of a murder mystery; a family drama with Detective Ward’s family; and a police procedural. With each book we are getting to know the police personnel who interact with each other in this series. I’m starting to care about those recurring characters. That's a sure sign of a well-written series.

‘The Dare’ opens with the disappearance of thirteen year-old Savannah Hopkins. She recently moved to this new town with her mother Jane. Savannah simply doesn’t return home after school one day. The next day her body is found, and the thriller is off and running. Other seemingly random teen-aged girls disappear after Savannah. Detective Ward and her team is frustratingly one step behind the killer as the body count increases. But it’s certainly not for lack of trying on their part.

Then Natalie Ward’s daughter, Leigh, goes missing. Will she suffer the same fate as the other girls? That question kept me turning the pages late into the night. Don't worry. I won’t tell you how it ends. What would be the fun in that? Just take my advice, if you like a tautly paced story with good character development and a plausible storyline and a great ending, do yourself a favor and get this book. I can’t wait until then next book comes out! Please, write faster Ms Wyer.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Bookouture; and the author, Carol Wyer; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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

I just reread my review of the 1st book in Carol Wyer's Detective Natalie Ward series, The Birthday, and was surprised how much my feeling about different parts of the series changed. All more positive than before.

The Dare is the 3rd, and latest, book in the series. While reading the 2nd book, Last Lullaby, I grew to like the storylines involving the team's home life. That continued into the 3rd book. I was glad to see how much their individual storylines progressed since the 1st book. All of the main characters return for this book. The team is intact and still working together.

In The Dare, Wyer focuses on the challenges that have become wildly popular recently - the ice bucket challenge, the cinnamon challenge, etc. One of the victims frequently completed those types of challenges and the team needs to figure out if that was why she became a target or if it for something else entirely. Can Ward find the killer before he strikes again?

I do not know why I did not post a review for the 2nd book, Last Lullaby, and will post one soon.

I am looking forward to the 4th book in the series!


Review published on Goodreads on 4/23/19. Will publish a review on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on its release date, 4/25/19. When available, the review will be published on Scribd.com and, using Overdrive, will be rated in 9 libraries.

Just a Few Words: This series continues to impress. From start to finish, you just hang on and let the author take you deep into the story. The missing child….she could be yours! Okay, let's begin...


The Dare by Carol Wyer is the third in the Detective Natalie Ward series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



Series Background:   (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Natalie Ward is a strong female detective, but also a woman who is trying to juggle her job and her home life. Her husband has a gambling problem and lost all their savings. Then he lost his job, and he is now working from home. He is feeling inadequate, and Natalie finds herself constantly having to massage his fragile ego. Although she tries, she feels like she is neglecting her two children, even though they know that if she is on a murder investigation, it has to take precedence. She is often torn. Natalie’s team consists of: DS Lucy Carmichael, DS Murray Anderson and PC Ian Jarvis.



My Synopsis:  (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Natalie is called to help look for a 13-year old missing girl, Savannah Hopkins. She didn’t make it home from school. The next morning her strangled body is found in the park behind her house. Upon further investigation, Natalie realizes that this shy, introverted girl was having problems at school and at home, and some of her friends and acquaintances are holding things back.

When 14-year old Harriet Long disappears, the hunt is on…but there is so little information to go on, and it becomes clear that the killer is enjoying playing games with the detectives.

Meanwhile Natalie is still having trust issues with her husband, and their home life is a bit of a shambles. Her daughter is the same age as the victims, so Natalie's mind is often in two places.



My Opinions:
I really like how the author continues to add depth to her characters, but I still wish Natalie would just kick her husband to the curb. Okay, that may be a personal issue, as I too had to deal with a husband with an addiction. It’s not fun….and actually Carol Wyer is handling this very well.

The writing continues to impress me, and the plot was good. Although I was fairly certain early on as to the identity of the perpetrator, there were enough other suspects that I occasionally doubted myself. The tension continued to build throughout.

I liked the additional perspective of the killer occasionally being thrown in. Definitely made it interesting to know his thoughts.

The plot, as always, was plausible, as we don’t always know what our children are doing when not at home. We don’t know what they are doing on their mobile devices, or who their friends are. It is a scary time for parents. Carol Wyer incorporated those fears into this book, and she did a great job!

Overall, this is a good series, and this was a great addition to it.

# The Dare ( detective Natalie Ward book three) # Netgalley
I powerful book on murders of young girls, Natalie throws her and her team into soving this case, with every thing they have. Natalie’s home life is not that good but she never lets it get in the way of a investigation Carol Wyer pulls all the stops out in her writing and boy does it show I love this author she just gets better and better with every book, not that I thought it was possible. I definitely recommend carols book, although this could be a stand alone novel it would be better if you read them in order. That way it gives you more insight into Natalies background and life. Brilliant book a must read

With thanks to Netgalley Bookoutre for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Dare is the 3rd book in the DI Natalie Ward series. Carol Wyer is one of my go to authors. I have enjoyed both her detective and chic lit books.

Natalie and her team received a missing person report for thirteen year old Savannah Hopkins. Savannah`s mum had been married to a traveller, after years of travelling they settled and bought a house. Savannah was bullied at school for being a traveller and had few friends. The next morning Savannah was found murdered in a park near her house.

The same day Harriet who was a year older went missing after school. That night Harriet`s best friend discovered Harriet had posted a video on the Internet shouting for help. Natalie discovered that Harriet with obsessed with an internet challenge called Disappear. The challenge was to remain hidden for one night up to five. The next morning Harriet was found murdered and left in a park near her home.

Then a third girl went missing from home who knew Harriet and Savannah. As Natalie and her team desperately tried to find the girl, Natalie found out her own Daughter Leigh had gone missing.

I would say The Dare is Carol Wyer `s most disturbing book to date. internet use must be so difficult for parents to police, even with parental controls savvy kids can disable them.

I was gripped to The Dare from the first page. The plot was fast paced with red herrings galore. I was almost sure I knew where the plot going but I was completely wrong footed.

In between the main story were chapters from the killers POV. When his motive was killing was revealed it left me cold.

In this book Natalie was finding it hard to trust husband David after he started going on gambling websites again. After another setback Natalie is not sure if she wants to continue the marriage. I guess Natalie will have some tough decisions in the next book.

I highly recommend this book, I can't wait for book 4.

This beautiful lady has done it again. Carol you are amazing. "The Dare" is the third instalment of Detective Natalie Ward series and it was a cracker of a read. I was hooked from the very first page and so glad I did not need to get up for work the next day, I was reading it to the Birds started to sing that morning when I finished it!

If you want a fantastic series to read Here it is..........However, any book By Carol Wyer is a Brilliant read.

Big 5 Stars for this book!

Thanks to Carol Wyer, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

Thank you to both the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review. This book keeps really keeps you guessing In a fun way. So many suspects that had the opportunity to kidnap these teenagers. Don't be surprised if you end up going to sleep late to finish this book. I've given it 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. This is my first book I've read of hers but it definitely won't be my last!

Loved it. This is my favorite book in the series. It kept me guessing until the very end. I kept going back and forth on who the killer was going to be. All I knew is he had a crazy snake tattoo and fed the snakes hunger by killing teenage girls. So CREEPY!!! So many twists and turns. The book was fast paced and I didn't want to put it down.

I love Detective Natalie Ward. I wouldn't mind getting to know her other officers a little more, especially Lucy and her partner Bethany. Definitely looking forward to the arrival of Spud. I still feel the same way about David as I did in the previous books. I never trusted him from the start and I'm not a big fan of his. Staying together for the children is not a good reason to stay married. My least favorite part of the book is Leigh. After hugging her, I probably would want to kill her. The fascination that the teenagers had with the Disappear website was crazy. Who would do that to their friends/family?

Definitely recommend the book and the previous two. This is one of my favorite series. I love the characters, story and writing style. I can't wait for the next book!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a free e-copy of The Dare (Detective Natalie Ward #3) by Carol Wyer from NetGalley for my honest review.

I was so excited to get a copy of Carol Wyer's 3rd book in the Natalie Ward series. I am always watching out for the next book she writes. I love how she weaves a plot and that we learn more about the characters in each additional book.
Teenage girls keep disappearing and turning up dead. Detective Natalie Ward is put on the case. Information they find shows that the girls' disappearances may be linked to a series of online dares. All of the girls have been on the same website. A website that dares people to go missing and stay missing. The longer you are missing the higher you go on the leader board.

Things become even more serious for Detective Ward when her own teenage daughter, Leigh, doesn't come home from school one day. Now, Leigh is missing too. Can Natalie solve the case in time to rescue her own daughter, or will she turn up like the others?

I think that the issue of the scares that can come with social media, although frightening, are very real in this day and age. I loved the fact that the author brought them to our attention in this book. We, as parents need to understand and teach our children the realities of social media. These things can really happen when kids are talking to people they don't know or are playing around on websites they aren't sure about.

The Dare is a very chilling thriller, especially if you are a parent.