This is my review of The Blossom Twins by Carol Wyer. It’s the fifth book in the DI Natalie Ward series which is set in Samford, Staffordshire, a fictitious town not too far from Whitmore which appears in the Domesday book.

DI Ward goes into work on a Saturday morning to hear of the death of a young girl. She had attended a concert with her sister the evening before. Kerry had left her for about ten or fifteen minutes but when she got back, she had gone. She hunted for her but there was no sign of her at all, she had vanished.She contacted her parents at 9.30pm, then the parents contacted the police. The girl’s body was discovered early this morning, in the kitchen garden under some bushes.

Isabella’s body had rose petals scattered all around where she lay under some scarlet rose bushes. It looked like she had been throttled and considerable force had been used too. One petal attracted Natalie’s attention, it was on the girl’s hair. It reminded her of her first murder investigation. No, it couldn’t be. Could it?

That evening, two sisters were camping in their back garden. They were thirteen years old and they were looking forward to this night. The next morning when their mum went to wake them, they had disappeared!

Late on the Sunday afternoon, DI Ward is called to a murder scene. The twins have been found in a similar position to a case she has worked before. It brings back terrifying memories. Did she get it wrong all those years ago? The following day, Natalie receives a note saying, ‘I’m back.’ It sends a chill down Natalie’s spine. It can’t be the same murderer can it? A copycat?

Natalie and her team work really hard on the cases to try and find the murderer. Natalie is attempting to sort out her home life too and misses what is happening there with her children. But more importantly, she misses the fact that the murderer is toying with her and is after not only her attention but her daughter Leigh…..

This series just gets better and better. It is like being on a roller coaster ride full pelt and then being dropped from a great height, a fantastic read! Just absolutely adore this series. So well written, great characters and vivid descriptions. Looking forward to the next book.

From my blog: Always With a Book

This is the fifth book in Carol Wyer's Detective Natalie Ward series, and somehow each book seems to get better and better. Carol Wyer sure knows how to write an addicting and thrilling series for sure - I was a huge fan of her DI Robyn Carter series and I am loving this one just as much.

While I won't say that you necessarily have to read this series in order, as each book contains a self-contained case that is solved within the book, I do strongly suggest reading it in order for the character development. And to me, that is where this series is so strong. There are so many threads that have been carried through from the start of the series that really play a factor in understanding Detective Natalie Ward and if you like that part of the series - the character development - then do yourself a favor and read the books as the author wrote them.

In this latest installment, you will feel the tension right from the get-go, it is so palpable and it lasts all the way through. Natalie's marriage is all but over, she just needs to find the time to tell her children that she is going to be moving out. On the work-front, half her team is on vacation so her boss calls in for backup and that leads to an old foe coming to join her team, and the case that they land is eerily similar to one she worked on years ago.

What I love about this book is that we see Natalie trying ever so hard to balance work and life and sometimes it just doesn't happen. And we see the stress get to her. She knows that she sometimes put work above all else, including her family and she feels the guilt and it doesn't help that right now the issues with her husband are adding fuel to that fire. When the case takes a personal turn, things at home are only going to get worse and that is only going to make the guilt that Natalie carries increase.

While I was shocked when the killer was revealed, at the same time I wasn't, if that makes sense. I think somehow, I intuitively knew that was who it was going to be. But I was devastated over that final victim and I cannot imagine how that is going to play out...it's completely emotional and yet at the same time, it oddly works.

This book is intense and kept me glued to the pages. As soon as I had an inkling of who the killer was, I could not stop reading. And then when the worst happened, I thought for sure it would have a happy resolution, only to end in a nightmare. I cannot believe that Carol Wyer went there, but then again, sometimes a writer has to take that chance. I will be reading the next book ASAP to see how it is handled! This series just got real!!!

Wow, what an emotional read. I love the Natalie Ward series and this one was no exception, it was brilliant.
Whilst her sister goes to get drinks., teenage girl goes missing at a local music gig, and is later found dead.
Whilst Natalie and her team are investigating this case, twin sisters disappear whilst camping out on their garden overnight.
When they too are found murdered, Natalie notes some frightening similarities between this and a previous case she worked on dubbed the Blossom Twins, in which sisters were murdered and discovered covered in petals. She wonders if she has the mental strength to bring up the nightmares of the past.
DCI Tasker drafts in DS John Briggs who worked with Natalie on the previous investigation. Someone she doesn’t like and certainly doesn’t trust his judgement. John resents Natalie for getting the promotion he felt he was entitled to and goes all out to make himself look the better officer.
When Natalie’s daughter Leigh and her friend go missing, could they have fallen foul of the murderer or has Leigh run away because of the situation between her parents?
Running alongside the story, is the ongoing marriage struggle between Natalie and David. Does she have the strength to leave her family home and start again with Mike?
The final twists blew me away. Roll on book 6!

Out of both of the Carol Wyer Detective series, this novel, The Blossom Twins has been by far my most favorite read of hers. This novel was filled with anxiety and the hope/fear that a killer would be caught.

This novel has a back story that I was totally excited about and here for. A killer from Natalie's past who the police task force thought they caught back then. Someone did the time for those crimes, and that person also took their life when they stated they didn't kill the Blossom twins all those years ago. Natalie had a gut-wrenching feeling that this could have been a copy cat until one morning a message is left on her desk saying, "I'm back."

The Blossom Twins had the perfect amount of suspense, thrill, anger and devastation. With all those feelings, I read through this book pretty quickly. I am a reader who doesn't have a ton of time during the week to read since my mind is always focused on school and my classroom but this book took over my home life. I was consumed and when I got to the end I was shattered. Being a new mom, growing my daughter in my belly, I never saw this ending coming and I wish I could have un-read it.

One thing throughout the Natalie Ward series is that at the beginning of these books I wasn't a huge fan of Natalie. But each book that I read, I become more fond of her and the choices she makes to better herself as a person, a mother and a detective. Even if some of those choices means that she may hurt the people she loves most in the process. There comes a time where the focus on yourself needs to be a little more clear so you can be the person you need to be for the people you love around you.

I am VERY excited for the 6th installment called The Secret Admirer. I just requested it on NetGalley from Bookouture and Carol herself and cannot wait to see what Wyer has come up with this time.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Carol Wyer for allowing me to read The Blossom Twins for an honest review!

Wow....this was an arresting, emotional story. I have not read any of the other books in the series but will do so now. It was very well written with mounting suspense.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

OMG...WOW! WOW! WOW! This isn't just one of the best books in the series...it is THE BEST book in this series! THE BLOSSOM TWINS is the fifth installment in the DI Natalie Ward series and I think it is the best one so far! What can I say that I haven't already done so? This is one of my favourite series and it just gets better and better! As soon as I see one pop up on NetGalley, I don't hesitate in requesting. But this one...is something else!! So where do I start to even begin to give this book justice?

The story opens with 17 year old Kerry accompanying her 14 year old sister Isabella to a free concert in the grounds of a stately home. The boy band, Blasted, is a favourite of many a teenage girl and is the featured act. So when there is a break between performances, Kerry goes to the drinks tent for some refreshments for her and her sister...with Isabella remaining by the arch to keep their place.

But when Kerry returns, there is no sign of Isabella. A search of the area reveals her sister is nowhere to be found and now frantic with worry, Kerry abandons the concert in search of her sister. She finds her phone abandoned in the grass. Something is wrong. Isabella, like any teenage girl, is surgically attached to her phone and would not misplace it so carelessly. So where is Isabella?

The next day, DI Natalie Ward receives the call that the body of a teenage girl has been found in the kitchen garden in the grounds of the estate where the Blasted concert had taken place the night before. DS Lucy Carmichael accompanies Natalie to the scene in the absence of DS Murray Anderson, who is on a well deserved holiday in Australia. When they arrive, Natalie is immediately reminded of a previous case she'd investigated several years before in Manchester - the case of the Blossom Twins. The positioning of the body and the rose petals scattered on and around her are all strikingly similar. But there is one difference...there is only one body, not two.

Still, Natalie feels sure the cases are linked. But how? The killer of the Blossom Twins was caught, arrested and sent to prison where he later killed himself. A sign of guilt? Maybe...except that the killer retracted his earlier confession stating he was innocent. Natalie didn't think anything at the time, but now...she's not so sure.

When 13 year old twins Ivy and Erin Westmore camp out in their backyard one night, it is an adventurous act on their parts considering the girls have never shown any interest in camping before. Still, they bid their parents goodnight and settle in giggling and sharing secrets into the night. The following morning, thinking the girls were having a lie-in, their mother unzipped the tent to wake them. But she found only their bedclothes stuffed into their sleeping bags...with no sign of the twins.

A missing persons investigation is underway lead by the same detective who searched for Natalie's daughter, Leigh, when she went missing earlier in the year during an investigation into missing teenagers who disappeared after accepting a dare online. When Natalie heard about the missing twins, she immediately thought of her own investigation and that of the Blossom Twins. There HAD to be a link.

And then Erin and Ivy's bodies were found in marshland...on their sides facing each other, holding hands and covered in petals. Natalie knew then without a shadow of a doubt the cases were linked. If this wasn't a copycat of the original killer then they had put an innocent man away for the Blossom Twins. And he is back with a vengeance.

In light of her previous boss' retirement she now has a new one, Supt Dan Tasker, who is rather unpleasant and is all about statistics rather than helping the community. He brings in DS John Briggs to assist in Natalie's investigation, as she is a DS down. However, it turns out that Briggs is good friends with the Superintendent and she wonders if her authority is constantly being undermined by the two men. It's clear that Tasker has a favourite and it isn't her. But Briggs is no stranger to Natalie. They had worked together on the original Blossom Twins investigation and no one else knows the case as well as he does. But Briggs is an arrogant player constantly questioning her or going against her. She has no room for someone like him on her team...but she has no say in the matter.

On a personal level, Natalie has her home life to deal with. Her husband David has consistently lied to her and she has had enough. After he had gambled away their savings, he continued to visit gambling sites, betting shops and even bought scratchies. Natalie doesn't have the strength to continue this daily battle especially as her work life is tough enough. Now sleeping in the attic, she has decided that her marriage to David has come to an end...but each time she intends breaking the news to their children, Josh and Leigh, something comes up preventing her from doing so. Is she having second thoughts? Should she leave David or can they make it work? Does she love him enough? And how can she remain connected to her children if they were to separate? And then there is Mike. Her friend, confidante, colleague and now potential love interest. However, both have agreed to put their feelings on hold until she has sorted out the mess that is her marriage. But will Mike wait for her?

Despite all the things thrown at her on a daily basis, Natalie is determined to get to the truth. Is the Blossom Twins killer back? Did they imprison the wrong man? If so, why did he stop for several years? And why is he targeting twins? But nothing will prepare Natalie for the truth when she uncovers it...

That ending...OMG! That ending!! While I began to piece together the puzzle when the truth came out I was still shocked, despite the sense it made as I pondered it at the time. But that wasn't the only shock to come. My goodness!! I was left speechless...breathless...completely stunned! So much so it has taken me nearly a week to write this review. And even then, can I do it proper justice?

Carol Wyer really took a brave step in this book and as I tweeted her my reaction upon finishing the book, she was thrilled that had it generated the response she had been after. All I can say is...WOW!

Natalie and the killer share the primary narration in THE BLOSSOM TWINS. Aside from the investigation and Natalie's personal life, we are also given a glimpse into earlier snippets of the killer's life and ultimately what became the signature of his kills. And then we are given even more in the form of first Isabella's and then Erin and Ivy's brief narratives as to what happened in the lead up to their deaths...given that they had just disappeared and no one knew how or why. It is both intriguing and clever. This was a brilliant touch by Wyer.

I really thoroughly enjoy this series and love all the characters. Each of them shine in their own way in THE BLOSSOM TWINS. But I especially love how it's not dog-eat-dog where everyone is trying to one-up the other. I find those procedurals less endearing. Whereas Natalie and her team all complement each other and work together well. That is what I like to see...not constant angst between the ranks.

There is, of course, plenty of angst on Natalie's home front so she doesn't need it at work too. Her children, Josh and Leigh, have their moments as teenagers but overall are good kids. David is problematic but every so often I see something of what Natalie must have seen in him in the beginning, but the fact that he has consistently lied again and again shows he cannot be trusted and if you can't trust your husband, what hope does your marriage have? I have gone from liking to hating to tolerating David over the course of the series. But I really do believe their marriage has run its course...and particularly now at a time when they will all need to band together and support each other, I don't think their marriage is strong enough to do so. I see it crumbling even more in the next book.

THE BLOSSOM TWINS is a jaw-dropping, heartwrenching, edge-of-your-seat thriller of a police procedural. Just when you think everything has fallen into place, we are sideswiped with a shocker twist! Definitely one of my favourite reads of the year!!

A complex, nail-biting, cleverly written thriller, THE BLOSSOM TWINS is intense and fast-paced from beginning to end. Although you "could" read this as a standalone, I do recommend starting at the beginning of the series to appreciate the characters and their roles and development throughout. Although I did came late to the party, starting at "Last Lullaby" (Book 2), I fully intend on going back and reading the first book when I have the chance. But THE BLOSSOM TWINS is by far the best of the series and I look forward to seeing where Book 6 takes us.

1 - The Birthday
2 - Last Lullaby
3 - The Dare
4 - The Sleepover
5 - The Blossom Twins

I would like to thank #CarolWyer, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBlossomTwins in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

The Blossom Twins is book #5 in the Detective Natalie Ward series, I have read this series since the beginning and it gets better and better. The ending of this book completely screwed with my head. I'm still in shock from what the author has done. I even had to go back a page to make sure I'd actually read what I had read.

Detective Natalie Ward has to investigate the death of a girl at a concert, followed by the death of two twins. Determining whether these deaths are related whilst following many red herrings proves to be a difficult task. Years before Natalie was involved in the murder investigation of two sets of twins, it is a case that has haunted her ever since. Natalie is a good cop, and she has good instincts, something which over the course of this series has helped her solve the difficult cases she's been assigned. Now her instincts tell her, these murders are related to the old ones.

Natalie and her team are assigned DS John Briggs to help in the investigation, he previously worked on the case of the Blossom Twins with Natalie and there is no love lost between them and I can see why, what an arrogant asshole he is.

All the while these cases are going on, Natalie is still dealing with the breakdown of her marriage, her loser of a husband, and is trying to find the right time to tell her two teenaged kids she is moving out and leaving their dad. Police work has always been a hard thing to balance with her family life and this case is causing that balance to be completely overthrown.

This was a hell of a case to follow and I can understand how frustrating it can be for police when following up leads and dealing with witnesses who don't want to cooperate. Natalie and her team do a great job but they are up against the clock and the mind of a serial killer. This book will leave you reeling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a digital copy in return for an honest review.

Ah Carol, always a pleasure to get my grubby mitts on another Natalie Ward thriller and so I was looking forward to devouring this one too!

Didn’t disappoint, loved it as per usual. Great fast paced thriller with fantastic characters that you actually care about, love the lead character Natalie and I cannot wait for the next instalment in the series!!!

Wow does not begin to describe this powerful, emotional and dark drama about Detective Natalie Ward! The book begins with one young girl dead and then twins killed in a way that reminds Natalie of a killer who is in prison. She needs to find out quickly whether this is a copycat killer or if she put the wrong man in prison. Since the killer seems to be targeting twins, Natalie is nervous about her own children, twins Josh and Leigh. This fact ramps up the emotion that I felt, right along with Natalie. I felt her fear, her discouragement and her desperation and wanted the case solved quickly. On the other hand, I didn’t want the book to end because I was enjoying the riveting tension too much! I have read two other Natalie Ward books, and this one is hands down the best one yet. The ending left me dizzy, reeling with the huge twist at the end that I never saw coming. Although this is the fifth book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone without any difficulty following the plot or characters at all. In this book, Natalie is dealing with a criminal mind as well as problems at home with her marriage. So much drama! Now, I am impatiently waiting for the next Natalie Ward book, knowing that Carol Wyer is a suspense writer that is to be reckoned with. Fans of suspense, mystery and thrillers will definitely want to read this book!

Oh my gosh! This book is actually unreal! I love Carol Wyer and the Natalie Ward series having read them all and reccomended them to all my family members at every avaliable oppurtunity. This was the best by miles it had me completly shaken to the core so enough on my feelings about this book - what is it about?

Two girls are camping in their back garden, when their parents get up the next morning - they are missing but it seems like they are hiding. However when their bodies are discovered covered in pink petals - Natalie recongises these signs, its a throwback to an earlier case of her career but they arrested the man who confessed - is someone copying him? Or did they get the wrong person all those years ago.When she gets a chilling note simply stating "Im back" she is more convinced than ever that they got the wrong person.

This book was something else, Natalie as ever is a wonderful main character who is trying to battle her own life and keep on top of her career and this is one case that she cannot let get away. Throwning her all into the case is all she can do.

The way this is written is so clever and deceptive that it leaves no room for guessing what is happening or preparing yourself for it. The time i was reading this i barely got any sleep because i had to stay up to get to the end and find out what was happening and boy - i was a mess by the end.

Totally the best yet - it even snook itself in my top reads of 2019 (i

This is the fifth book in the Detective Natalie Ward series and it is as sick and twisted as the rest. Wyer has the creative skills to suck you in at the beginning and while you slowly go through the crimes that Detective Ward and her team are solving the details are just brilliant. The plot twist in this book literally had me holding my breath for the last quarter of the book and the ending was gut wrenching and spectacular!

THE BLOSSOM TWINS is the fifth novel in the Detective Natalie Ward Series, a riveting crime-thriller by Carol Wyer. Her books keep getting better and better! I have read them all. I would recommend you read this series from the beginning to fully appreciate the ongoing character development, though the plots are standalones.

The novels in the Detective Natalie Ward Series Include:
BOOK 1-The Birthday
Book 2- Last Lullaby
BOOK 3-The Dare
Book 4-The Sleepover
Book 5-The Blossom Twins

The novel opens with two sisters, seventeen-year-old Kerry and fourteen-year-old younger sister, Isabella at a pop concert in the park, when something went wrong. When Terry went to get drinks, she returns to find her younger sister is missing…and Isabella’s cell phone was on the ground. Just hours later, her dead body is discovered later hidden under the bushes.

DI Natalie Ward and her team are assigned to investigate. D.I Natalie Ward is a strong character trying to desperately balance family life with work. The team she works with are like family and the more we get to know about their personal lives the more this series comes to life.

Soon after, thirteen-year-old twins Ivy and Erin Westmore who had been camping out in their backyard…were found murdered.

Detective Natalie Ward is assigned to the case. When the twins’ bodies are discovered on nearby marshland, covered with deep pink petals, an icy shiver travels down Natalie’s spine. Everything about the girls’ deaths reminds her of a horrifying case she worked on earlier in her career, which saw a killer of the worst kind placed behind bars.

There are similarities between the positioning of the bodies and the crime scenes that is playing on Natalie's mind. Natalie receives a note saying “I’m back’. The killer in that case was caught but is there a copycat out there…or did they put the wrong person in prison years ago?

With all this activity going on, Natalie is trying to find the time to tell her kids that she is leaving their father.

This is a fast-paced crime thriller with an exciting plot and well-developed characters, with an increasing suspense level that had me flipping the pages as fast as I could. The ending was a shock; and not one I was expecting!

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

I have become addicted to this series. I love the way the author realistically balances the main character’s (Natalie) home life and her work life. As always, Natalie investigates a heinous crime while trying to figure out how to keep her family together. This time, the evil is closer and intertwined than ever before. The case is interesting, the plot is tight, and well…I can’t say anymore without giving it away. But trust me, you’re going to want to read this one when you can be alone with your thoughts for a while afterward. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.

I love carol wyer. Her books get me every time. Once I think who it is the twist is thrown in and it’s an OMG moment and who I thought it was it never is.
Natalie ward is a great detective. As each book comes you get to know her a bit more.
This book is no different I throughly enjoyed it and the twist was amazing.
I really recommend this series.
Thank you carol.

Natalie Ward is a policewoman whose personal life spills over into her professional life regularly. This makes her human and makes the books centered around her a great reading experience. As she investigates the murder of twin girls, she cannot help but realize this murder scene is very similar to another she thought had been solved. With each step forward, the tension builds as the killer moves closer to DI Ward's family. Carol Wyer has written an excellent mystery/ thriller with enough wrong turns that you'll be surprised at the end.

An addictive mix of crime fiction and family drama makes the Detective Natalie Ward, series a must-read. for me. This one is particularly harrowing. Child abduction and murder are every persons' nightmare, but you are immediately invested in the investigation and want the perpetrator to be found before anyone else goes missing or dies.

The story is immersive, from the first abduction to the journey into the past, and the return to the hell of the present. The emotions are close to the surface and so realistic. Natalie has lost part of herself, with every murder she's investigated and solved, but these bring back guilty feelings from the past. Coupled with her dramatic home life, she is on the edge and struggles with the objectivity she needs to be effective.

The team of detectives are authentically written and familiar from past books. All the characters are complex and relatable. The plot undulates between high adrenaline, and slow-paced frustration, as the workload increases and the dead ends mount up.

The dramatic but plausible ending brings an emotionally draining story to a realistic, but shocking, unexpected conclusion.

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

This book was unbelievable. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. What an ending. Had me guessing till the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of "The Blossom Twins" by Carol Wyer in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic book in the DI Natalie Ward series. I flew through "The Blossom Twins" by Carol Wyer and loved the twists and turns. I was pretty sure that I had the mystery solved, and for the most part I did. I really didn't like the ending but at the same time I understand why it was written the way it was. I can't wait to see what's next for DI Ward.

Review for 'The Blossom Twins' by Carol Wyer
Read and reviewed via NetGalley

Their parents thought they were hiding…

One beautiful summer’s evening, thirteen-year-old twins Ivy and Erin Westmore snuggle down in a tent in their back garden, giggling and sharing secrets.

When their mother goes to wake the girls the next morning, their tent is empty.

The alarm is raised and Detective Natalie Ward is put onto the case. When the twins’ bodies are discovered on nearby marshland, covered with deep pink petals, an icy shiver travels down Natalie’s spine. Everything about the girls’ deaths reminds her of a horrifying case she worked on earlier in her career, which saw a killer of the worst kind placed behind bars.

The next day, that feeling is heightened when she receives a chilling note saying ‘I’m back’. Is this killer a copycat or did Natalie put the wrong person in prison all those years ago? In a small town, where no stranger goes unnoticed, what is Natalie missing?

Consumed by the case, determined to prevent more deaths, Natalie misses the fact that it is her attention the killer wants. And to get it, he has his sights set firmly on her precious daughter Leigh…

Wow!!! Where to start!!! This was the first book that I have read by this author and it certainly won't be my last. I have already added all her books to my Amazon wishlist. However, many are free on kindle unlimited or just 99p to £2.99 to buy on kindle.

This seems to be the last book in her Detective Natalie Ward series but I read this as a standalone and didn't feel I was missing out on anything from the previous books in the series. I will still be getting them though as I enjoyed this one so much.

A true page turner absolutely filled with suspense that left me up until early hours in the morning. The chapters were lovely and short which is ideal if you just want 'one more chapter' before bed, although we all know this usually never happens lol.

The book was very well written and the characters were brought to life and realistic. I DID NOT see the end coming which is definitely a bonus for me as I am not a fan of predictable books. It took me on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and kept me on the edge of my seat. This book is based in the UK which is another bonus as I enjoy reading books based in the UK

I highly recommend this book (or any of hers) to fans of psychological thrillers, suspense, crime, murder and also to fans of Angela Marsons, Karin Slaughter and CL Taylor. I cannot wait to read more from this highly talented author and have rated this book 5/5 on Goodreads and Amazon, if only I could rate it more. My best read of 2020 so far =D

Free on kindle unlimited or £1.99 for the kindle version

#NetGalley #Review #CarolWyer #TheBlossomTwins

What an emotional rollercoaster of a tale.

This had me engrossed from the outset. I’ve read the previous books in the series however feel this could be enjoyed as a stand alone book.

Dark yet sensitive, I didn’t want this to end.

4.5 stars