★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

The third in the DI Amy Winter series by former police detective Caroline Mitchell, LEFT FOR DEAD is a dark and tense thriller that I found myself immediately immersed in from the very first page. It's not a whodunnit as such because we learn who the villain is quite early on...and yet I still sat on tenterhooks throughout waiting for a twist to turn everything on its head. There is something rather chilling still within this cleverly-written thriller that keeps us on our toes throughout.

For a recap, Amy Winter is the daughter of "the Fred and Rose West" husband and wife serial killers Jack and Lillian Grimes but, as the youngest of the Grimes' children at aged four, was adopted to a loving family - the Winters. Her adoptive father Robert Grimes was in the police force and Amy and brother Craig followed in his footsteps. For Amy, Robert was her greatest role model whom she most wanted to emulate but upon learning that her biological parents were real life serial killers, her whole world almost shattered.

Now a DI with the Met, Amy is enjoying a day off shopping with her older sister Sally-Ann...while trying to put recent events of their mother's appeal to the back of their minds. Upon admiring an expertly designed window display of wedding dresses, Amy realises that the mannequin in the window is actually a dead woman. Springing into action, she gains access to the display to ascertain the condition of the woman whilst calling paramedics and for back-up. A subsequent post mortem reveals the victim, identified as Stacy, was drugged with a rare form of heroin and left to die for all to see.

Meanwhile, Amy's boss DCI Helen Pike has retired and she is shocked to discover that DCI Donovan has stepped into the role. The same Donovan she had shared a moment, and a kiss, with previously and with their fledgling relationship still relatively unexplored Amy is now unsure where things stand between them now that he is her boss. But not only is he her superior, he has swung things to allow them to use the old conference room as their shared office. Things could get a little cosy with two relative alphas in the same room.

Amy and Donovan (I'm not sure his first name was even mentioned in this book and I can't remember if it was revealed in the previous one either) are on a trip to Southend on their day off to interview the former fiance of a murder victim from twenty years ago that bears a striking resemblance to their current case. Schoolteacher Claire Lacey was murdered in her home one night after a drunken evening with her fiance Michael who was arrested for her murder, given that they were rowing rather publicly at the time before she left in a huff and flounced off home. But when speaking with Michael he revealed that Claire had taken one of her students under her wing who appeared troubled and having some difficulty, though she never revealed his name. Was this student involved in her death? Or was Michael just covering up for his own jealousy of her spending an inordinate amount of time with the student that went beyond the remit of her duties as a teacher? He sure seemed to be hiding something when hurriedly let them out the back way after Amy and Donovan questioned him when his wife and children arrived home.

On their way back from Southend, Amy received a call from her brother who had picked up a case that appeared to be linked to theirs. A woman had been found strung up in the National Museum unconscious but alive, barely. The killer has made a mistake in leaving his victim alive...or was that an accident? Hopefully she will be able to identify her attacker. But one thing that soon emerges is that both women were "Sugar Babes", using an app to arrange dates with older men online. Is this how their killer found his victims?

When the killer has a third women in his sights, time is running out for Amy as she endeavours to drive the final nail in his coffin and arrest him before any more women fall victim to his charismatic charms and psychopathic traits. But how can she when someone else has confessed to the crimes and her superiors appear to be satisfied with the result?

Amy and her team are hunting a deadly psychopath who will stop at nothing to achieve his ultimate fantasy. Her radar pings loudly by the head of a media agency behind the window display in which the first victim was found who makes no attempt to hide his fascination with her serial killer parents. It seems, in her, he believes he has found a kindred spirit and that a dark side looms within Amy as well.

In her previous life before she was adopted as a child, Amy was Poppy Grimes, youngest daughter of serial killer parents Jack and Lillian Grimes. Unlike her older siblings - Sally-Ann, Mandy and Damian - Poppy was given the chance at a new life and a new start with the Winter family, starting with a new name. Now Amy must face her haunted past when her biological mother applied for an appeal against her original conviction, based on evidence Amy herself uncovered, and is now the subject of a new trial. Unfortunately, Amy finds that she must give evidence for the defence in her mother's favour but she also remembers the abuse and neglect in the Grimes household. Knowing full well what her mother is capable of, Amy fears that she may well be acquitted this time round...especially as her sisters appear to have changed their tune towards Lillian. But why? What hold has Lillian over them?

Will Amy be able to bring the real killer to justice before it's too late? And face the ghosts of her past whilst putting them to bed once and for all?

A gripping story, LEFT FOR DEAD is a fast paced story with a cleverly written plot. Despite learning the identity of the killer from the outset, it didn't ruin the story at all...in fact it kind of gave it an edge. It was like watching the TV shows "Dexter" or "The Fall" where we know who the killer is and follow their respective journeys learning how they pick their victims and how they taunt police. But unlike those two shows, there was nothing to like about this killer. Although everyone around him adored him and had not a bad word to say about him, we saw his darker sinister side and we don't like him. But it does add a chilling curve to the story.

I really like Amy, although I'm not generally a fan of strong female leads who tend to throw caution to the wind and end up going rogue when they have clearly been told to toe the line. But there is something vulnerable about Amy that endears her to me. The fact that she has such a cloudy background makes for a very interesting sub-plot. I'm looking forward to see how things pan out for her in that regard in the next book.

LEFT FOR DEAD can be read as a standalone but it is a series that is best started from the beginning. Having said that, I did not read the first book but came in on the second one. However, it's been two years since I had read that and I didn't remember a whole lot when beginning this book. Granted some of it came back to me as I delved further in and Amy's past was reignited once again, but as I really didn't remember much from the second one I can safely say the reader can glean enough background to keep up with the current state of play. It's only that the main theme that plays out over all three books and then-some really began in the first one which is why I recommend reading them from the beginning.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed LEFT FOR DEAD and Amy Winter is fast becoming one of my favourite detective series. I love crime fiction procedurals with a difference...and this one definitely offers that! Not many could cite having serial killers for parents on their CV, could they?

Perfect for fans of darker crime fiction like Katerina Diamond and Carla Kovach.

I would like to thank #CarolineMitchell, #Netgalley,/b> and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #LeftForDead in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this intense mystery! I am personally a huge fan of reading stories from the killer's perspective, and I love how Caroline Mitchell developed both the serial killer's character and DI Amy Winter's character through the rotating perspectives seen throughout this book. Although I hadn't read the first two books in this series before reading Left for Dead, I didn't feel very confused at all and was easily able to pick up on Winter's backstory. This book left me on the edge of my seat, and I flew through it quickly because of how interested I was in the plot. There is most certainly two different stories taking place in this book, one between Winter and her mother, and the other between Winter and the serial killer who has starting killing women again after his first death years prior to when this book takes place. I am definitely intrigued about the other two books in the DI Amy Winter series after reading this one and think I may have to check them out now!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of Left for Dead by Caroline Mitchell!

A riveting police procedural written by a former detective Caroline Mitchell, Left for Dead’s DI Amy Winters investigates a serial killer who has displayed their latest victim in a shopfront window.

Meanwhile Amy is battling growing public interest in her personal life, that’s she’s the daughter of a serial killer, and a documentary film crew following the investigation. Added to this complication. She has a new DCI in charge of ensuring every aspect of her investigation is above board.

While at times it can be laboured I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s the third of a series and while I’ve not read the first two, I will endeavour to read those. I look forward to Mitchell’s next book.

Another great Amy Winter story. This time she is up against a psychopath who is both clever and resourceful, all whilst the team is being filmed for a fly on the wall documentary. Amy is sure she knows the truth in but can she prove it? If that wasn’t enough she has to face appearing as a witness against her serial killer mother, Lillian Grimes who is appealing her earlier conviction. A tense and engrossing read.

Left For Dead by Caroline Mitchell is a British murder mystery and police procedural and the third entry in the DI Amy Winter series. The lead character is a dedicated and strong-willed police detective whose past interferes with her work and personal life. In a store window a mannequin in a bridal gown turns out to be the corpse of a young woman. She was posed there in lace and diamonds while she bled to death. Soon another young woman is attacked and left for dead, posed again.

I love the serie and this book is amazing.
I cant stop read from page 1. So good.
Thanks netgalley

The fact that the first thing I did after finishing this book was to look and see when the next one is due to be released should tell you just what an exciting read this is. It could be read as a stand-alone but I strong recommend that anyone new to this author reads book one "Truth and Lies" and book two "The Secret Child' first. Even though I had read both books it was helpful to be able to refer back to them.
As well as the latest instalment in Amy's rollercoaster life this story contains an entirely separate crime, carried out by a vicious but very clever predator. Amy and her team are going to have to find out a lot more about their suspect before they can meet him on his level. I will carry on waiting impatiently for the next book in the series until its release in April.

This is the third in the Amy Winter series and I really enjoyed it. Amy is out shopping with her newly found sister when they come across a gruesome find.. The dead body of a woman has been displayed in a shop window.
Amy and her team are tasked with finding the killer, with DCI Donovan at the helm.
Another woman is found in the Natural History Museum, but is still alive, has the killer made his first mistake?
This was an excellent story, running alongside the serial killer, was the story of Amy’s biological mother’s appeal trial as well as her growing relationship with Donovan.
Looking forward to the next installment.

Great book! Very well written and loved the characters as well. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. Can't wait to read more by Caroline Mitchell

Amy is out shopping with her newly found sister when they discover a corpse dressed as a bride. This leads her to the Love Heart killer and the world of Sugar Babes. She also has to contend with her birth mothers upcoming trial and all the media interest that that entails. Unfortunately for her the murderer is interested in that case and her background too.
This is the third book in the Amy Winter series and I have loved them all! I am really looking forward to book 4 to see what life throws at Amy next. She has a great team behind her and I would like to see more of them. Her background is so interesting and it just keeps giving and giving.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Caroline Mitchell has been one of my favorite authors since forever, and once again she doesn't disappoint with this thrilling read. I loved each and every moment I spend with this book, and can't wait to read the next offering by this very very talented author.
TB

To be honest, I found this book a little boring.

It started off well, but I strugggggled to get through the whole thing, it took a while!

The plot seemed good, it just plateaued and then was a bit of a snooze fest until the end.

Having read Caroline Mitchell previously I anticipated this to be a great read and I wasn’t disappointed although I felt I was on a bit of a back foot joining this series at number three on hindsight I should have read the first two books in the series first.
DI Amy Winter is out shopping with her sister and as they were window shopping outside a bridal display Amy noticed blood 🩸 oozing from the brides mouth. Amy on autopilot is inside the shop and into the window display to verify that this was not a publicity stunt but a rather macabre victim of murder.
A second body is discovered in similar circumstances in a museum but this time the victim is still alive - its a race against time to track a dark and depraved serial killer.
At the same time Amy has her own demons to face with her birth mothers retrial to face and deal with the fallout from that.
A fast paced thriller of the highest calibration.

From the opening of this book I knew I was in for a corker of a read - and Caroline Mitchell delivered on every level. Great story-telling, authentic police procedure and well fleshed out characters all came together to make for a satisfying read. I thought knowing the killer from the outset gave a different edge to this thriller and it was well written and intriguing with enough tension to keep you turning the pages. I'll look forward to what Caroline wows us with next!

Amy Winter is window shopping with her sister - both drawn to a gorgeous wedding gown display. But as Amy looks closer, she notices blue lips under red lipstick as blood begins to drip from the woman's mouth.
Donovan becomes Amy's DCI - creating tension and a hint of romance as they struggle with each other's independence as well as professional abilities. Donovan has been tasked with reining Amy in, forcing her to follow procedures.
Lillian's retrial is about to begin. Amy's memories resurface.
A film crew follows the team around, heightening the case as well as showcasing their abilities.
I was drawn into the case - as the plot progresses, it started to lag. Amy is a great, strong female lead but really goes out on her own. Not just flaunting the rules but the story centers around her character. I appreciated the important of Lillian's role as both biological mother and villian. Yet I'm over it. Constant repetition of her trial on Amy's concentration- we know. It felt like the Lillian subplot had room much attention.

A well-plotted novel that manages to mix fantasy-level psychopathic serial killer murders with a down-to-Earth police investigation.

The book opens with a romantic window display containing the perfect bride, who happens to be a dead woman posing as a manikin with all the bridal paraphernalia. The rest of the story focuses on the hunt for the murderer and an attempt to prevent victim count from rising. The protagonist is a female detective whose parents are also serial-killers and so the the main baddie has a connection, in his mind at least.

This is a quick-paced novel, with a modern writing style which makes it easy to read. The detective has her own life and it mixes well with the main story and is an interesting storyline. This is the third book in the series and stands quite well on its own, but the detective's own history would be clearer if the previous two books were read first - not that this is a major issue.

Fascinating look at the mindset of such killers and there were a couple of things I didn't predict in the plot. A good read, recommended.

The third installment in this series. This time Amy is on the hunt for a serial killer who is targeting young women, and leaving their bodies on display in public.
They have someone in custody but Amy is sure he isn't their guy. Just how far will Amy go to catch a killer?

I absolutely loved this one. Everything was spot on. The whole story leaves you on the edge of your seat, feeling tense and wondering how it's going to end. Even though we figure out pretty early who the actual killer is, there are still a good few twists that make it really exciting.
A must read.
I really hope we see more in this series in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this.

I enjoyed all the previous DCI Amy Winter books and this was no different, I love her and her character and the whole series in general, I always look forward to a new one!

Full of atmosphere, twists and turns and another great serial killer it’s a winner all round

Not too fond of this book. It took me a long time to read it as i thought it would get better eventually. I didn't find it did. Maybe it would have helped if i would read book 1 and 2. It can be a stand alone.

I found this to be too much about Amy and not about the killer or the killings. Another book about a "rogue" cop.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

i really enjoyed this mystery novel. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was happening and I really liked the characters.