DI Clare Mackay is back! In Plain Sight is as rigorously crafted as her first St Andrews police investigation. Thorough, tense and totally authentic, author Marion Todd has triumphed again.
‘The magnitude of the task facing her was not lost on Clare. A missing person was bad enough but a missing baby…’
As the midday sun glints off the North Sea, the Sunday fun run looks set to get off without any false starts. But with half as many environmental protestors as runners lying across the beach track ahead, the perfect diversion exists for a terrible crime to take place. A young baby is taken from her pram. Yet despite the vast number of runners and spectators on the sand dunes, witnesses for the abduction are few and far between. To further complicate proceedings, single-toothed, smiling baby Abi has a congenital defective heart and requires digoxin twice daily. DI Clare Mackay and her team have their work cut out to find the baby before time runs out.

‘She looked at the house and thought of the couple inside, almost certainly distraught. Her chest felt as if there was a lead weight pressing on it. The worst part of the job by miles.’
Upon meeting Abi’s parents Lisa and Kevin, DI Mackay starts to build a picture. In addition to the young couple who seemingly have all that money can buy, a line of decidedly dodgy suspects is brought into the fold. From a charmless, brawny barman, sweeping away questions with a wipe of his filthy cloth to the crumpled tissues dabbing Lisa’s swollen eyes, the richness of characters make In Plain Sight entirely believable. Is this crime entirely random or is something more sinister happening under the St Andrews community nose?

Knowing the area well, author Marion has created a strong sense of place. Detail is her forté – describing table lamps like sentries, a bleached name card next to an illuminated doorbell, furtive glances – she surveys everything swiftly through Clare’s razor-sharp gaze. In a case of such magnitude, this level of detail is entirely necessary and adds believability.

‘She had to get things clear in her head. This operation – finding Abi – all these officers. She couldn’t afford to blow it.’
As with See Them Run, Clare’s latest case has dark undertones. Due to its nature of finding a missing infant, support has been drafted in from other stations. The DCI making demands this time around is Tony McAvettie. With the Superintendent role in his sights, he wields his power to pressurise Clare. Subsequently, in a man’s world, she must hold her own.

Padding through her home, Daisy Cottage, with its broken heating system, devouring late night pizza, discarding clothes on the floor, our protagonist Clare is entirely relatable. But two of the things we love most about Clare are her ability to stand her ground whilst remaining compassionate. Unlike DIs in other series who appear hard-hitting and unreachable, Clare holds genuine concern. Her sister Jude, her bull terrier Benjy, her partner Geoffrey, her team and their families all matter to her. A strong female lead, she’s exactly who you want fighting your corner.

‘There were more sirens now. Clare found it almost unbearable, listening to the chase from fifteen miles away.’
Moving at such speed, the series brings deep appreciation for the police and emergency services. Such pace requires a considerable amount of research and, just as with Marion’s debut, See Them Run, once again she does not disappoint. Alluding to mobile phone trackers, social media monitoring systems, the Home Office database and even the Child Rescue Alert procedure, Marion’s research is impeccable and add weight to the story. Similarly the Incident Room odour of Pot Noodles and sweaty bodies coupled with the glare of its artificial light easily conjure images.

Moreover, the car scenes with DS Chris are police partnership gold. Using the car as a catalyst to literally drive the action, these moments are pertinent to the case and use of dialogue team-tags answers to clues.

It is no surprise to us that this book is Harrogate International Festival’s Book of the Month in its first month of release. In Plain Sight is a phenomenal follow-up to See Them Run and every page earns its place. Just two books in, we realise each case DI Clare Mackay and her team tackle are now must haves and hope this series runs for some considerable time to come.

Wow can’t wait for the 3rd book in this series. An amazing book. Tense, taut and thrilling. Love, love, love it.

In Plain Sight by Marion Todd is second in the new Scottish police procedural series featuring DI Clare MacKay and I loved it.
I was hooked within the first few pages and it can be read as a standalone which does make this book even better. However, I do recommend that you read the first book "See them run"

A six month old baby girl Abi Mitchell is snatched from her pram whilst her mother Lisa is standing in the crowd of spectators at a local charity run. DI Clare Mackay and her team begin a major investigation, to find out who has taken the baby. Whilst Kevin and Lisa the parents are interviewed they find out some important information, Abi has a congenital heart disease and requires digoxin to keep her alive.

The clock is ticking for DI Clare Mackay and her team to find Abu before it's too late.

Will they find Abi in time?

I highly recommend this book.

Big thank you to netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of the book in exchange for this unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I found it to be an absorbing and thrilling read. It had my attention from beginning to end. I liked the main character and loved her working rapport with her work colleagues. There were plenty of twists in the story to keep you guessing who had abducted baby Abi. The book raced to it’s conclusion, tying up all loose ends nicely. I now want to read the first book in this series, and hope there will be future books with DI Mackay in. 4 stars.

I am loving this series, it had me hooked from the first page. A great story which is easy to followwith believable characters.
Looking forward to reading the next book.

A baby goes missing at a fun run. Clare Mackay was there waiting to run, so she was on the case straight away- especially when the parents reveal that she has a life threatening disease that requires medication to keep her alive.

As the case progresses it is clear that this was not a random snatching. Why does the baby's mother have another phone she doesn't want the police to know about? How come a groundsman & a part time tanning assistant have such a big house? And Clare wonders why she has to endure a very ambitious boss, who is only really interested in the way this looks to the public? Set in St Andrews- an area I am quite familiar with this, is a good police procedural. It is the second in the series. It could be read as a stand alone but as always it's probably better to be read in order. I am really enjoying this series & am already looking forward to the next in the series. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

In Plain Sight is the second novel to feature DI Clare Mackay, set in St Andrews, following on from 'See Them Run', the first book in series. I have to say I was completely and thoroughly hooked right from the start. I think this book would be fine a standalone, but I recommend reading 'See Them Run' as you'd be missing out if you didn't!

DI Clare Mackay has moved from Glasgow to join the St Andrews police force as the most senior officer stationed there, after a shooting incident in Glasgow left her with emotional and professional problems. She's left behind her home, her job, and her boyfriend to take up the job in the small seaside town.

In this story, having established a rapport with her new team, Clare quickly steps in to investigate when a baby girl is snatched from her pram at a charity fun run. However, time is of the essence when Clare and her team learn that the child has a potentially fatal medical condition.

She and her partner-in-crime, DS Chris West, along with the rest of the team, track down every lead in this excellent police procedural. Clare is smart and very determined to solve the case, fully aware that the clock is ticking and, as if that wasn't enough, she has to face pressure from her new DCI to continue her investigation. Will the abductor(s) strike again? Will Clare be able to find baby Abi in time?

I thoroughly enjoyed In Plain Sight which is a complicated read with crimes leading onto other incidental ones, and a whole host of suspects and characters with cameo roles. The narrative resolutely remains with Clare's point of view. I fell right into this well-crafted and absorbing tale and I felt as though I was shadowing her as she worked at chasing her leads and following her instincts. Marion Todd's writing-style was impressive and noteworthy, slowly, slowly building up the tension, taking her time in setting things up, as I was second-guessing along the way, until, finally, the big reveal.

Also, I think that the author has a lot more to offer in terms of Clare's portrayal. I was extremely taken with this character's toughness, dedication and tenacity and look forward to reading about her in future instalments of this series. With its polished pacing and plotting, I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable, original and difficult to put down novel from Marion Todd. Evidently she is a gifted storyteller who can provide readers with thrills, sophistication and a story packed with substance. A very highly recommended five star read and an exciting story that will be of interest to many readers.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Canelo via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Yes it’s here - the second in the wonderful Detective Clare McKay series! I don’t usually recommend reading books in numerical order but as there are continuing back stories flowing from See Them Run, it will make reading them even more enjoyable. Clare is fast rising to the top of my female detective list and is certainly my favorite Scottish one. This is not your grandmothers cozy Scottish police-lady book. It’s a fast paced, hard driven procedural with relevant and satisfying plots and in this one the team is frantically searching in a child abduction case that has deeper and sinister connections.

As I started to read this I noticed that it is the second book featuring DI Clare Mackay. It took me a while to get into the writing style, but once I did I found that I enjoyed it.

Marion Todd has created a range of charismatic characters and although I don't know the geographical setting, her writing makes the places sound very interesting.

The pace of the story is swift, with just enough twists and turns in the plot to maintain interest.

I think that the police procedural aspects of this novel are well written. In all, I really liked this book and will look forward to future novels by Marion Todd.

Without further ado I am just about to start reading the first book in the series which I missed out on: It is called 'See Them Run'.

For now, I give my thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for a copy of 'In Plain Sight' in exchange for this review.

Marion Todd is a brilliant, entertaining author. Her police procedurals feel like a complete story without any of the scenes scenes slacking off. I enjoyed her first book, and I LOVED this one. The story moved, from beginning to end, like a movie, almost seamless in the way the chapters were held together.

A missing child from a fun fair, and DI Clare and Chris had a race against time in their hands with the child being medically unwell. The missing child arc might have felt familiar, but the writing pulled me in like a snare. I was completely immersed into the story, captured by my kindle, not that I wanted to cut free. The author's writing was smooth like hot chocolate, rich like a delicious pastry.

Most police procedurals generally get down to nitty gritty, but this story had a heart. Clare as the lead detective was magnificent in her role. Her work and personal life seemed balanced. Well, almost. She was a cop. Her directives to her team had me in awe. They were a well oiled group who were ready to travel to the far extent to get the child back.

What I especially loved about Clare was that the case took priority, not her ego. And she knew how to subvert all foreseeable clashes. The author was quite clever in those scenes. The sheer hours of hard work by everyone and the intelligence shown by the cops made this one of my most addictive reads.

Being not well, I needed sleep more. But I spent half the night reading this book. Ah, what can I say... C'est la vie..

I read the first in the series and honestly liked that one better probably because I felt like the character development of Clare was more interesting in the first book. That being said this is a solid police procedural and an enjoyable read.

I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was a great second book in the series. I think the lead character has been developed well and I am looking forward to the next story. However, I can't help but be glad her love interest will be leaving for the US. He just didn't measure up to the rest of the characters or Clare Mackey.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Text Publishing, for the ARC.
A thoroughly good read which is perfectly fine as a stand alone book despite it actually being the second in the series. I hadn’t read the first one and never felt like there was something missing.
I loved Claire the main character and in fact I thought all the characters played a good part without over leading the plot along. There was none of the personal angst affecting the plot which seems often to feature in books nowadays. That isn’t to say there wasn’t trouble in the characters lives but it was at an appropriate level which I enjoyed.
The story is interesting and I particularly enjoyed the constant one step forward two steps back scenarios the police found themselves in which I feel sure must be a realistic view of policing.
The author is clearly one to watch out for.

Thank you to Canelo for the invitation to read the eARC via NetGalley of Marion Todd’s ‘In Plain Sight’ in exchange for an honest review. It was published on 20 February.

This is the second in her police procedural series featuring DI Clare Mackay, set in the small seaside town of St. Andrews, known for its prestigious university.

When a six-month old baby girl is snatched from a crowd of spectators at a local fun run, DI Clare Mackay and her team begin a major investigation. They learn that the baby has a potentially fatal medical condition and needs regular medication.

It’s a complex case and Clare as investigates it becomes clear that this wasn’t a random abduction. No further details in order to avoid spoilers.

This case has one of those common crime fiction tropes found in books (and on the telly): parents of victims who start yelling at the police accusing them of incompetence and not doing enough. I always want to give them a good talking to!

This again proved a well plotted police procedural that ticked all the boxes that I look for in this sub-genre of crime fiction. In addition, Claire and a few of her team face challenges in their private lives.

I found it engrossing and read in a single sitting.

I will be looking forward to further cases in this series.

A toddler goes missing during a crowded day at the beach, just before a marathon takes place. At the same time a protest against the setting up of a plastic bottling plant is also taking place. In the ensuing crush no one has noticed how this toddler went missing.

Claire is the Detective in charge working against time to find the baby as in this case the child Abigail has a heart complaint which needs medication. Whilst the whole team at her local police plus teams drawn from the area work against the clock putting clues together, the child's mother falls under suspicion but there are no obvious signs of any collusion. Putting together the pieces of a puzzle where the pieces are all there, but how do they fit together to form a cohesive whole is this story. There are drugs, there are dealers, there are itinerant rogues and car jackers, there are former drug addicts and persons on the fringe. Are they all linked to this missing baby?

Add to that people pulling rank in the Detective's own office trying to gain popularity, trying to get and lobbying for the senior positions coming up all adding more stress to an already stressful situation.

Very well written, with just the correct amount of being politically incorrect adds interest to the story. Tense and a page turner.

Great debut from this author - I loved the St Andrews setting, the female lead detective and the twists and turns of this story. Absolutely has the making of a series and I look forward to the next one!

This is the second installment in the series featuring DI Clare Mackay and her team and set in St. Andrews, Scotland. In this case, Clare, DS Chris West, PC Sara Stapleton and others are focused on handling a kidnapping situation. The baby, 6-month-old Abi Mitchell, was snatched from her pram while she and her parents, Kevin and Lisa, were at a charity fun run. The abduction is complicated by the fact that Abi has congenital heart disease and requires digoxin to keep her alive. The clues and leads are slim with only a single witness reporting that he saw a pizza delivery motorcycle leave with something wiggling in the side bag. It seems that the baby has vanished but soon events escalate -- there is something more going on and Clare et al need to solve this fast. NO SPOILERS.

Although this should have been very gripping, it proved slow going for me though I read it in a single sitting. I had really enjoyed the first book but was not so drawn in by the plot here. I do like the characters and the setting and will likely continue on with the series. Clare has issues in her personal life that need resolution though her position with the police seems to be well set now and her cottage is finally renovated. Overall, it was a satisfactory police procedural.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Compelling, rivelrting and terrifying all at once - there were parts of this book I really enjoyed. It was a bit full-on in places, felt like it was trying to be a Rebus or simiilar, and could get there, I guess, but there were a few small bits of it I didn't enjoy as much as I'd hoped to.
Solid, but not exactly what I'd hoped.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Based in St Andrews, Scotland, DI Clare Mackay picks up the case of a baby, kidnapped during a fun-run. The case is all the more critical because the baby requires regular medication for a potentially fatal heart condition.
The parents are heartbroken but, despite their ordinary jobs, they live in a home above their obvious means.
As pharmacy is ransacked in Dundee and the baby’s medication is amongst the drugs stolen but, how can the two cases be connected?
Marion Todd keeps the suspense coming and I felt genuinely nervous for the outcome as the odds became increasingly high.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and getting to know DI Clare Mckay, I will be reading the other book in the series and waiting for the next instalment.
If you are looking for a new thriller, this is highly recommended.

Chills and fear that kidnapped baby Abi is but the tip of the iceberg!😲 What a great ride!👍

🤗I love this series and St. Andrews Detective Inspector Clare MacKay and her crew! Author Marion Todd gave me a nice group of characters, police, witnesses and victims, to care about. The writing keeps the tension building and deviates into the officers' personal lives just enough to make them interesting without drawing too much focus away from the investigative plot. And, for me, the Scottish setting is always a huge draw as I am a bona fide fan of all things Scottish😉

🍼🚼 A single incident at a charity run morphs into just a thread in the larger tapestry of organized crime in the Fife area of eastern Scotland. There's a good mixture of smart technical data collection, labor-intensive follow-up and an action-packed climax. I really liked the balance between the official investigation, office politics, and the personal lives of Clare, Chris, Sara and Jim. Devon is a great example of how those discounted by society can make a huge difference and Susan was a reformed character that I really wanted to succeed. If only DSI Tony could earn his just rewards in the end!

I totally recommend this story to fans of British crime procedurals, especially readers who don't like their stories too gruesome.

Thanks to publisher Canelo and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.