What a brilliant book. This book has a fantastic story line, excellent characters and is just wonderful. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and I enjoyed it immensely.

Naomi Bailey is trying things on as a single mom to her 5-year-old daughter, Cassie, since she kicked out her husband, Charlie, several weeks ago after he spent the night with their old high school nemesis, Jessica Toland. Since she's not been sleeping well, Naomi's best friend, Kate, urges her to take a couple of herbal sleeping pills. They conk her out. When Naomi wakes late and goes to get her daughter up for school, Cassie is nowhere to be found.

Every parent's worst nightmare necessitates a call to the police and DCI Rachel Hart gets the nod to lead the investigation. Usually the first suspect in a case of this nature is a family member and since Charlie and Naomi can't seem to be civil, they look at him as the snatcher. Along with many other red herrings throughout the narrative that shifts in different points of view between the main characters, there are quite a few other questionable persons of interest. NO SPOILERS.

This was a fast read though there's nothing new here. A savvy reader will know immediately who snatched Cassie though the "why" is quite thin and much of the plot is far-fetched. I didn't really care for any of the characters in this book except for perhaps Charlie's mom, Hazel. As far as this being the first in a new series featuring the damaged (of course) Rachel Hart -- I don't know. I may or may not read another to see if she's just another hot mess or if she can actually lead a police investigation that reads more like a police procedural instead of a domestic drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book and for letting me take part in this blog tour. I love a good detective series so I was so excited to take part in this tour.

DCI Rachel Hart is called to Naomi's house after her little girl Cassie has gone missing in the middle of the night. Naomi put her daughter to bed Thursday night and when she woke Friday morning, Cassie is not in the house.

I think Naomi was really struggling to cope after her husband cheated on her and with Cassie going missing she is highly unstable. I think deep down she is a good person but is overwhelmed for the majority of this book.

I enjoyed Julia's writing style. There are many red herrings in this book which will keep you guessing for a long time. I had an inclining who actually kidnapped Cassie before it was revealed but I would never have guessed the motivation.

Rachel Hart has a back story that starts to unravel in this book but I look forward to hearing the full story as the series develops. I think Rachel's history does affect her a little in this case and she does seem a little all over the place sometimes. I do like Rachel and I think she is a good detective I look forward to seeing her grow and develop as the series goes on.

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

This was a fast read. It wasn’t too hard to guess who was behind it. But it was more complicated than I thought. And I’m happy with the ending as well. I would like to read more about Rachel and her sister Ruth, but hopefully there will be more about them in the next book.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Little Girl Missing’ by J.G. Roberts in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first in a new series of police procedurals featuring D.C.I. Rachel Hart. It opens with every parent’s nightmare as Naomi Bailey wakes to find that her five-year old daughter, Cassie, is not in her bed or anywhere in their house. She then discovers that the front door is unlocked suggesting that the little girl went outside during the night. Naomi is under stress as five weeks previously after a blazing row she threw her husband, Charlie, out of the house.

The police are called with D.C.I. Rachel Hart leading the investigation. It is clear that this case triggers traumatic memories for Rachel. As far as she is concerned everyone is a suspect.

This was certainly a well paced police procedural combined with aspects of domestic noir. I found Naomi quite an unsympathetic character given her unwillingness to even discuss the situation with Charlie and denying him and his mother any access to Cassie. Their ginger cat, Pumpkin, was a delight though when pets feature in thrillers I always feel slight anxiety.

I felt it was a good start to this series and proved to be the kind of book that was hard to put down. I look forward to further cases for D.C.I. Hart.

First book in the DCI Rachel Hart series and it starts out with a missing child. When Naomi wakes up after taking some herbal sleeping pills, as she hadn’t been sleeping well, she finds Cassie not in her bed. She knows that Cassie hasn’t been sleeping well since Naomi kicked her father out, they both haven’t, sometimes she finds her downstairs on the couch with her cat but she is not there. Panic sets in.

The police are called in and DCI Hart and her team try to figure out what happened. There are a lot of discrepancy with the parents and even the grandmother. There are some other things that could have happened, one involving the reason that Charlie was kicked out of the house to begin with but I don’t want to mention that.

With everything that Rachel and her team are finding out there are a lot of speculation into what exactly has happened and it’s a race against time to find the child that is missing. There was a few twist and turns and though I figured some of it out it still kind of surprised me in the end.

The characters are not very likable to be honest. I mean I felt sorry for them as their child is missing but Naomi drove me crazy. I probably liked Charlie a little bit better but then he made some dumb moves at times. It’s hard to put myself in their shoes to know if I would act like them or not as I don’t have kids, so someone with kids might understand them better. I did enjoy DCI Hart and she has some of her own demons to face. Something that happened to her when she was a child and one reason she wanted to take on this case instead of giving it over to someone else.

Overall, I thought it was a decent enough start to a new series and I would probably try the second one to see how it goes. If you like British crime novels you might enjoy this one.

A fantastic start to a new series. I look forward to reading the next one.

I was hooked from page 1.

Although I guessed who was involved I had no idea why and there was twists and turns right to the last page.

This has strong, interesting characters and I can't wait to see how they develop.

I will certainly recommend this.

Naomi & Charlie are having marriage problems. Charlie cheated he is now living at his mums. Naomi puts Cassie their daughter to bed after doing her pumpkin with her. Naomi decides to have an early night she takes some herbal sleeping tablets as she has been having trouble sleeping lately.
Then the nightmare begins Naomi goes to wake Cassie up but she isn’t in her room but it’s ok she will be downstairs with pumpkin her cat but she isn’t there. Naomi becomes frantic as the front door is unlocked. Eventually the police turn up and start a search for Cassie .,Has she just wandered off or has someone taken her. Naomi & Charlie’s best friend Kate is there for them throughout. Charlie’s mother travelled to see her sister the morning Cassie disappeared has she something to with it. Or has Jessica the woman Charlie slept with took her to get back at him.
This book had me hooked from the start.

My first book by this author. It is also the first book in the Detective Rachel Hart series. DCI Hart is on the case of a missing 5 year old Cassie Bailey whose bed is found empty one morning. Rachel completely understands what Cassie’s parents are going through as her sister was also taken as a child. Can DCI Hart and her team find the little girl before it’s too late?

I do love a good crime book, even if the topic is of children going missing! I also love a first book of the new series, being introduced to the new main character and getting to know them. DCI Rachel Hart is a great character and I think I’m really going to love her for future books in the series. She does though hold a lot of secrets of her past, so you just know there is so much more of her to come!

Cassie’s parents are viewed as prime suspects due to their marital problems causing an unsettled family situation. I tried my very best to feel some empathy for Naomi and Charlie, who must have been distraught with their daughter going missing, but there was something that I just didn’t trust about either of them which made this really difficult! The nature of the storyline did make me feel a little uneasy, purely from being a parent myself and not wanting to put myself in Naomi and Charlie’s position. The storyline was addictive and moved along at a great pace. There were red herrings, dead ends, and twists and turns galore and this alone kept me hooked into the story right from the moment Cassie’s bed was found empty. Whilst I had my suspicions as to who was responsible and what was going on, as normal I was completely wrong (I’d make a rubbish detective!) and loved the reveal as to who it actually was! The characters were all well placed, the plot was strong and fast paced and I found myself turning the pages furiously to find out what was going on!

A great start to a new series and a fabulous introduction to DCI Hart who I suspect will be a very welcome series lead! Highly enjoyable and I can’t wait for book #2 to carry on Rachel’s story.

What an intriguing story this turned out to be! How could five year old Cassie Bailey disappear from her home during the night? Her parents, already distraught at the breakdown in their own relationship, are frantic for her safe return. However, DCI Rachel Hart who is leading the police investigation knows from personal experience just what a nightmare this situation is. Can she help bring Cassie home safely effectively when her own experience was so traumatic?

This is a real page turner as the scenario really is every parent's worst nightmare. As family and friends rally round, is everyone telling the truth? Just who should you trust when it is your beloved daughter who has been taken? As suspicion grows that the person who snatched Cassie actually knew the child, can she be safely found and returned before it is too late?

It is a fast paced, action packed story which explores relationships, behaviours and expectations. It is a dramatic enactment of a living nightmare that everyone hopes no parent ever has to go through. I found it an intriguing story, a real page turner that kept me revising my guesses about the perpetrators as the story progressed. The clues are all there and are obvious once you realise who was the person behind the kidnapping but there are also plenty of red herrings to make you reconsider your suspicions and doubt your conclusions. I have hesitation in highly recommending this book to anyone who enjoys powerful, intriguing drama mysteries and crime investigations.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.

A wonderfully written, fast paced, thrilling tale. Very highly recommended to everyone. A story that sucked me in from the first page and kept me glued until the last. Absolutely brilliant!

Naomi Bailey reluctantly took a natural sleep remedy for sleep after dealing with weeks of stress and sleeplessness. The very next morning, her five-years-old Cassie turns up missing. She is wracked with guilt. She recently split from her husband Charlie, despite the fact that they had a very strong marriage. This was due to a sensitive and heartbreaking incident that Naomi just cannot get past. Charlie is as devastated by Cassie's disappearance at Naomi and insists on coming home while the police search for her. I felt so much for them, for their plight. I not only hoped for Cassie to be found safe, but also for their marriage to find ground again.

Rachel Hart is the DCI on the case. This case is close to her heart, because when she was a child both she and her sister were abducted. So, quite naturally, Rachel puts her all into this case. Rachel wisely considers several people as suspects with regards to Cassie. It doesn't take Rachel long to see that things with Naomi and Charlie are quite tentative.

What a fast-paced book that kept me on my toes! I could not put this book down. I was surprised at some of the twists this book took. Furthermore, although discovering who took Charlie became easy to see, the motivation behind it wasn't. That made the book that much more engaging.

Little Girl Missing is the first book I have read by J.G. Roberts and is the first book in the DCI Rachel Hart series. Rachel Hart is a no-nonsense detective who leaves no stone unturned. Her past experience is touched on in this book, and we meet her sister. I look forward to continuing with this series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m so excited to be doing my very first #BooksOnTour blog tour for Bookouture – one of my favourite publishers! Thank you so much for making me part of your tribe!

Imagine putting your beloved child safely to bed at night, only to discover in the morning that she’s completely disappeared! This is what happens to Naomi Bailey. She tucks her adorable five-year-old Cassie into bed late one night, and the next morning that bed is empty and Cassie has disappeared without a trace.

To complicate matters further, Cassie’s Dad, Charlie isn’t living at home at the moment due to a recent indiscretion. Naomi hasn’t allowed Charlie or his mom Hazel access to Cassie in the five weeks since she threw Charlie out. Having no family of her own, she’s relied heavily on her best friend Kate for support. And now it looks like she’ll need her more than ever.

DCI Rachel Hart is brought in to investigate. With past demons of her own that bring this case very close to home for her, she’s not quite sure what to make of things at first. Watching Naomi and Charlie closely, she tries to decipher their behaviour and figure out if there’s something going on that she just can’t put her finger on, or if this is purely the reaction of highly distraught parents who will do anything to have their child found. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking and as everyone knows, in a missing child case, every second counts!

With loads of twists, plenty of red herrings and lots to keep you guessing, this is one that will have you reading late into the night. Although I did start to suspect who the guilty party was, I was already way past halfway through the book – so, not that obvious and very craftily disguised – and the actual reason came as a complete surprise! The writing is clever and fast-paced, and the characters are very well rounded. This is the first in a series that will feature more of DCI Hart, and I look forward to reading more about her, and learning more of her story.

I admit I might have hugged my kids just a little bit tighter after reading this one – although they’re much, much older than Cassie! But then, it makes no difference really how old your child is, does it? The horrific thought of anything unforeseen happening to them is just more than any parent can contemplate. The book also begs the question: How well do you really ever know anyone; even those closest to you? We always think that danger lurks in the unknown but Roberts reminds us that unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

This is a five-star read that I couldn’t put down!

This is the first book in what looks like a new crime series. It started off a little slowly but really picked up. The story was interesting and the characters well developed. Seems like it could be a good series.

What a great start to what I hope will be a new series.
Cassie has gone missing and her mum can’t understand why she would open the front door at night.
Naomi has recently separated from her husband so he’s been staying with his mum.
At first the Police think Cassie is there but a search of the house reveals nothing.
Naomi’s friend Kate is on hand to offer her support and her mother in law helps out when Naomi starts to lose hope.
It’s hard to say much more as there some things revealed later in the book that have an impact on the ending, and I don’t want to spoil it for you.
This is a fast paced thriller that had me hooked.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I liked the story itself. It is mostly predictable as the nature of many stories like this is but it was enjoyable. I didn't really mesh well with the writing style or most of the characters. The best character was one I was supposed to like the least (Jessica), but she was the most well-done character in the book. The parents in this book were so unlikable especially the mother and I suppose the mother is the one we are supposed to sympathize with the most, but she makes it SO HARD!

The last 30% of the book was by far the best part of the book. I was the most intrigued here and really did enjoy that, but getting there was a bit of a task for me. The rambling inner monologues of the characters were sometimes too much and not really necessary. It felt like they were just constantly reminding readers of things we didn't need to be reminded of or that it was a very weird and not fleshed out way to get to know the characters. I did catch myself skipping most of those if I'm honest.

Rachel was a good character and I would be interested and knowing more about her so maybe the next in the series will be a bit more fleshed out than this one!

Once I started this book I could not put it down. Little Girl Missing was such an amazing, suspenseful and emotional read. I laughed, cringed, cried, gasped, and screamed. More than once while i was reading this book my son looked at me and said wow that must be a really good book. I read the whole book in one setting !! Every page leaves you wanting more and more so before you know it it is 3 am and you just spent all day and half the night reading this story non stop. This is a book you cannot put down so do not start if you have other things to do or before you go to bed . (Unless you want to stay up all night ) It is Very well written and A page turner from beginning all the way to end. This book has plenty of twist and turns and keep me engaged and guessing until the end. So i must say why the kidnapper did it really surprised me . And trust me that does not happen very often.
All of the characters are well developed and so easy to connect with. Each scene was described so well that it was as if I was picked up and transported to right there . This story will stay with me for a very long time. This is my first time reading anything by this author and it will not be the last. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves gripping psychological thrillers.

This is a new series featuring DCI Rachel Hart about whom we get tantalizing snippets about a childhood trauma.
The story is about a little girl who disappears from her home sometime during the night or early morning while the mother is asleep. The parents are separated due to accusations of cheating which ends up being one long involved story.
The characters are for some reason someone you don’t get too attached to and that unfortunately is all the characters. The story is fairly fast paced and easy to pick up from where you leave off.
I will recommend this book and believe the series and characters will get better as time goes by.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Little Girl Missing is the first book in the Detective Rachel Hart series. The author though is not revealing much about Rachel’s past and only gives little glimpses of something that has happened to her when she is younger. Having now finished this book, I am rather keen to read the next to find out more.

A lot of the story focuses on Cassie’s parents rather than the actual police work. To start with I did think it felt more like a psychological thriller until Rachel and her team started to feature more in it but it was a good setting to get to know both characters better and for their emotions and feelings to get into the readers head.

The pace starts picking up the more hours that Cassie is a way from home. The author leaves lots of red herrings sending your thoughts and opinions down one route, only to have them quickly turned round when another revelation is revealed.

Little Girl Missing was a story that hooked me from the first page to the last. I like how the author doesn’t reveal to much when it comes to the protagonist, ensuring that you will want to read more in the series. I also liked the twists and turns, making this an enthralling read. Look forward to reading more in the series.