'Left For Dead' is the third book in the series featuring the character of Detective Inspector Amy Winter. I have been a fan of Caroline's work for a while now. I have read most of her books and some of them have scared me a bit and made me highly suspicious of a certain type of bird. That's all I will say there as I don't want to give too much away about her other books. Anyway I read the synopsis for 'Left For Dead' and it certainly sounded like another fantastic book from Caroline Mitchell. I wasn't wrong either because the book really is fantastic and I enjoyed every single minute of it but more about that in a bit.
Amy Winter is certainly an interesting character and then some. It turns out that both of her parents are actually killers themselves and that Amy, who was only aged 4 at the time, helped to put them behind bars. She is an incredible character. There is a lot of interest in her birth family and she can't always escape the attention, especially as she now works in the very service, which her birth parents were trying to evade. I hope that makes sense. Amy was adopted by a nice sounding family and brought up by them. Amy has a sister and the sisters seem to be quite close. Amy is one tough cookie but then she has had to be. Amy is also a dedicated police officer who often goes above and beyond what is expected of her. It would seem that Amy doesn't need to go looking for trouble as trouble normally finds her. It's whilst Amy is out shopping with her sister that she comes across the body of a young lady, who has been dressed up and posed in the shop window. Amy raises the alarm and begins an investigation into the murder. Other murders soon follow and they are set to challenge Amy and her team as they haven't been challenged before. Will Amy and her team manage to apprehend the perpetrator before any further lives are lost? Well for the answer to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
'Left For Dead' is one of those books which really were unputdownable and a true page turner of a read. I picked this book up and only intended to read a couple of chapters. I made the fatal mistake of starting to read this book before I went to bed. Let's just say that bed time was very delayed and I was tired the following morning. As soon as I woke up, I was itching to pick the book up again. It wouldn't have surprised me if I had dreamt about the book. To say that reading this book became an addiction seems a huge understatement. I finished reading the book in just under 24 hours, which for me is pretty good going since I usually have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case.
To say that 'Left For Dead' is superbly written seems to be the understatement of the year! What I love about Caroline's books is that you can be sure that she has made the story as realistic as she possibly can, which isn't surprising when you consider that she is a former police officer herself. Her work experience helps to add an extra level of authenticity to her writing. I hope that makes sense. Caroline certainly knows how to grab your attention and then draw you into the story. For me, the book was perfectly paced. The story certainly started with a bang and from then on maintained a fairly fast pace. Reading 'Left For Dead' felt like being on one seriously scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. Just when you thought that you could take a breather then off the action would go again. I have to say that the villains in this book certainly made my skin crawl, sent a shiver down my spine and made me want to scrub myself with a scrubbing brush to get rid of all trace of them. Yes I know that 'Left For Dead' is fictional and therefore not real, but I find that if I enjoy a book as much as I enjoyed 'Left For Dead' then I tend to 'live' the story as if it were real.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Left For Dead' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will be reading more of Caroline's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This is the first time that i have read a book by Caroline Mitchell and cannot wait to read more. Although this is the third book in the Amy Winter's series, it didn't spoil my enjoyment. From the very first page i was gripped and cannot recommend this book high enough.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy.

Left for Dead by Caroline Mitchell
A DI Amy Winter Thriller #3

DI Amy Winter was raised in a house of horrors and her memory of those days have followed her into her job as a Detective Inspector of murder cases. I am sure that more of her past was mentioned in the first two books of the series. Not having read those books did not impede my enjoyment of this book but it did make me wonder what I had missed.

The story begins is predominantly the finding of a serial killer but also has the understory of what is happening with Amy’s murderous mother and her attempt to get out of jail. Will they find the one fiend and stop the murders AND will the fiendish killer mother stay in jail or get out?

What I liked:
* Amy: a bit of a wild card and maverick that doesn’t play by the rules with the instincts that set her apart in sussing out murderers. She is good with her team and might have a bit of romance coming her way.
* Donovan: I think I like him though he seems a bit weak to be in charge and rein Amy in. Still, do like him and want to get to know him better
* The plotting, pace and writing of the story
* Police procedural aspects
* Knowing who the murderer is but finding out how the police find out
* That the victims were not “weak”
* That the protector of the Sugar Babes seemed to have the women’s interest at heart
* That evil did not win…at least not entirely
* Being left wondering what will happen next

What I did not like:
* The serial killer: amoral and rotten to the core – could have been so much better than he actually was
* Lillian: Amy’s mother was evil through and through – really wonder what she will get up to next
* Being reminded that evil people really do exist in this world and some are no doubt worse than the ones in this book.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

This is the third in the Amy Winter series but don’t worry if you haven’t read any of the previous novels (you should because they’re fab) you can jump straight into this one without missing too much.

I’m always so excited when I see Caroline Mitchell has released a new Amy Winter book and I certainly wasn’t disappointed by this one!

A killer leaves their victim in a window display for everyone to see. If that’s not enough for Amy, she’s dealing with a new boss, a documentary film crew and the prospect of her mother Lilian Grimes (one of the beasts of Brentwood) may be getting out of jail.

Amy is on fine form in this book, bending the rules but never quite breaking them. There’s also a nice subplot about nature versus nurture. Does Amy have a darker side like her serial killer parents or is she more like her adoptive parents?

I’m usually not a fan of knowing who the killer is from the off but Left for dead still manages to get a few shocks in there to surprise me along the way.

Left for dead is a fast paced and utterly gripping serial killer thriller that has me eagerly awaiting the next book!

Left For Dead by Caroline Mitchell, is the third book in the D.I. Amy Winter series, but the stories are not connected to each other, so you don’t have to read the previous ones to enjoy the story.
The plot concentrates on Amy, a young and brilliant detective, investigating the crimes of a serial killer in London, known as The Love Heart Killer.
From the first few chapters, you know who the killer is so the book goes back and forth between the killer and Amy as each of their own stories are revealed. Some kind of cat-and-mouse game is taking place and it keeps the reader intrigued and eager to find out about these murders...
The story is all tied up from the beginning to the end, but I'm not a fan of knowing whodunnit right from the start… I also found it a bit too long to get to the point. I think it would have been far better conceived as a novel depicting Amy investigating and sifting through possible suspects without the reader immediately knowing who's the culprit.
Read it and make up your own mind.

This is the third book in the Amy Winter series but the first I have read. I do have a few of Caroline’s books on my Kindle that I have previously bought – always with the intention of ‘catching up’! Although there is obviously some backstory going here on that I have missed out on, it didn’t stop me enjoying this story as a killer thriller, although I would have had a better understanding of certain aspects had I been been familiar with Amy’s history – just bear in mind if you decide to jump in with this one.

A detective with a biological mother (and deceased father) – both serial killers (known as ‘the Beasts of Brentwood’) – my old stomping ground! 😳 From the backstory given, Amy has a complex relationship with her birth mother, Lillian Grimes, which in turn impacts on her relationships with her two sisters. Amy is pre-occupied with Lillian’s appeal trial and that is a whole other strand to the story. Lillian came over as a despicable character, quite capable of manipulating people when it suited.

Going back to the crimes, the killer here is clever and inventive. Their identity is revealed to the reader early on however this doesn’t make the story any less thrilling; watching the investigation team try to put together pieces of the jigsaw, which includes going back to a historic murder case, and wondering what the killer will do next. Of course it doesn’t just stop at one killing, and the tension mounts as Amy and her colleagues attempt to find out the identity of ‘The Love Heart Killer’ (so called because a heart is carved into the chest of the victims) before the body count rises even further.

Amy has a reckless nature which causes conflict between her and her new boss, DCI Donovan, when at times she crosses the line where procedure is concerned. There is clearly history between the two, both personal and professional, and I enjoyed the way the sparks flew between them (and not always in a good way) when they were together. Amy wants to be left to run things her way and doesn’t want to be babysat however at times she seems to have scant regard for her own safety if it means getting justice for victims. Clearly having Lillian for a mother has far reaching consequences!

Left for Dead was a very enjoyable read which I raced through. Set between London and Essex, it had a well-paced plot, a twisted and devious killer and two very engaging detectives that I would like to meet again.

My thanks to Sarah Hardy of BOTBS Publicity for the invitation to take part in the tour and to the publisher for the Netgalley copy provided.

I have no idea where Caroline Mitchell has been my entire adult reading life BUUUT... Whoa. Left for Dead are the kinds of books I live for, the kinds of books that I search for when looking for a new horror movie or series. I loved reading about Amy Winter and her detective work in stopping the worst kinds of humans in the world; serial killers.

This book dealt with two of women’s worst nightmares; one the nightmare saved from childhood of the monster under the bed waiting to get to you the second you close your eyes & the second, of feeling afraid to walk the streets alone at night knowing that any man could take advantage of the fact. In Left for Dead, both nightmares are joint into one man. A man that paints himself as a successful family man all the while hiding a Ted Bundy-esque evil persona behind the expensive cologne.

Amy, a woman full to the brim with demons that haunt her past (namely serial killer parents) makes it her mission to save as many people as possible on some needless aim to make it right with the universe by atoning for her parents sins. In this instance you would definitely benefit by having read the previous books in this series because though this one can be read as a standalone, it would give you more of a background if read in order.

In the end, the bad guy goes away but we are left with a cliffhanger and the knowledge that Amy Winter’s fight against evil is not quite over yet. I’ll SO have to make sure to read the first two books in this series before reading the next installment!

As per usual I have started a series on book three like the prize pillock I am, but have no fear as explanations were given throughout so I got the gist of the back story. I have purchased books one and two though as this was brilliant.

Unusually you know right from the start who the killer is and he is one seriously warped psychopath. Presenting one image to the outside world of happily married father and great employer while hiding his true nature in the second drawer down. Both figuratively and literally. Truth be told I found him incredibly readable as there was something quite charming about him and I’m a sucker for a baddie. His narrated chapters gave you an inside look into his mind and it’s almost like he has two separate personalities with the darker one vying for control. At turns both loving and paternal and dark and chilling.

There are two big plots running parallel both featuring serial killers and one being the back story of DI Amy Winter’s murderous biological parents as her mother Lillian is appealing her conviction. Lillian is a manipulator and master game player and Amy is having to do all she can to stop her walking free. The author has used her parentage to full effect showcasing Amy’s gut instinct as knowing evil from the inside out and naming her the psychopath whisperer.

I really like Amy, she’s one feisty little ball of kick arse. Girl after my own heart, but luckily my parents are perfectly normal. Well normal for Norfolk. She has a grit and determination to be admired and will go to any lengths to solve a case, including breaking a few rules. What really surprised me was how much I liked the rest of the characters, especially the respectful Ray Goodman and the tenderness and care he showed the victims was a wonderful touch.

I could gush about this book all day, it’s obvious that the author knows her stuff, having been a detective herself, and it shows in the attention to detail. This is a dark and twisted chilling read about dark and twisted chilling minds and it captured my dark and twisted chilled heart.

I loved this! All the POVs were perfect and I cannot wait to find out what happens NEXT! The tension was high for Lillian's appeal and hate how her still fresh relationships are getting very strained from the whole process. All the secrets unearthed definitely had different reactions, but were all just as rewarding. This is one my favorite procedural mystery series and I hope it never ends.

Wow. Twisty, dark and full of action. There is a lot of action packed into this story and a plot which surprises right up to the very end. I hope there is more of Amy to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This book grabbed me from the very beginning. It’s a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller full of suspense and intrigue. It held my attention throughout and kept me wanting more. A definite read for fans of thrillers and/ or crime novels.

This is the third in the Amy Winter series and it definitely does not work as a standalone. Luckily, I had read and enjoyed the prior two books.
This time around, Amy is window shopping with her sister when she realizes the mannequin is actually a dead woman.
Amy has a lot on her plate. A man she got to know as a friend in book two is now her boss and they are struggling to work together. Her biological mother’s guilty verdict for murder is being appealed and Amy is expected to testify.
The reader is exposed not just to Amy, but also the killer. He’s one twisted individual and Mitchell makes much of his dual life, executive and family man by day, killer by night.
I really appreciated Donovan being brought in as a main character. In his role as boss and friend, he’s a solid soul that doesn’t put up with Amy’s gruff.
This is an entertaining mystery that moves along at a good brisk pace. It has a very satisfying ending.
My thanks to netgalley and Thomas &Mercer for an advance copy of this book.

Left for Dead is the third instalment in the DI Amy Winter series by former detective Caroline Mitchell and is one of my favourite serial killer thrillers, not least because our protagonist Amy is a whole lot more fascinating than usual given she is the daughter of two notorious serial killers herself. Aged four years old she aided the police in putting both of her birth parents behind bars despite feeling conflicted and was adopted by a new family. But her interest in the motivations of those who kill more than a few times led her to where she is today; working as part of a specialist police unit hunting down serial killers, convicting and incarcerating them. I usually think that most instalments in a series can be read as standalone's without issue but due to Amy’s backstory being such a large, integral part of the plot I highly recommend reading the preceding books before this.

Amy is off duty and taking a leisurely stroll around the centre of town with her older sister when she stops to admire the display of a bridal shop; the mannequin wearing a stunning lace gown and sparkling jewels seems too lifelike to Amy. Taking a closer look she can see blood oozing from the woman's mouth and her eyes are taped open as if to force her to watch those walking by. They later discover a heart etched into her chest. Startled by the brazen and ruthless nature of the body placement in such a public place this is one killer who now has her full attention. The Love Heart Killer first struck 20 years ago locating his victims through a website called Sugar Babes that provides affluent men with ”the girlfriend experience”. On top of this case Smy has to deal with her personal stresses as her twisted birth mother Lillian Grimes has secured a trial to appeal her conviction.

I'll start by saying that this is an unmissable thriller for all those crime connoisseurs out there with each book just getting better and better. The plot is wholly original and inventive and is written in such a manner that the tension steadily builds over time resulting in an explosive ending. It's a real page-turner with a heroine who, due to the dark deeds her family perpetrated, feels even more strongly than her team about gaining justice for the victims and bringing the culprit to heel; she frequently goes rogue and disobeys the orders of her superiors making her an intriguing and engaging character from the get-go. The cat and mouse game between Amy and the killer gets your heart pumping double-time as she races to stop another victim being slain. All in all, this is a riveting thriller I can't recommend highly enough. Many thanks to Amazon for an ARC.

This is the third book in the DI Amy Winter series and my first book by Caroline Mitchell and ...I'm hooked!
DI Winter has a lot of things on her plate. DCI Hazel Pike retires and is replaced by DCI Donovan. Once they shared a fleeting moment of understanding and camaraderie, but now Donovan is asked by the superiors to watch her every step and make sure she does things by the book. Amy is dealing with her father's devastating dealth, frail health condition of her mother Flora and her biological mother Lillian Grimes's court appeal. The public might see Amy as a serial killer hunter, 'psychopath whisperer', but the truth is a lot of her insight comes from growing alongside unimaginable darkness of her parents' horrific crimes.
On her shopping trip with her older sister Sally-Ann, Amy notices something is off with the beautiful mannequin in the shop window. Amy's instincts turn out to be right- the body of a drugged and tortured young woman was left there on public display for hours.
Thorough as usual, Amy has an interview with the owner of the company responsible for the display design. To Amy's shock, this turns out to be one of the most bizarre and disturbing conversations she's had. Amy is convinced she has her killer, but can she prove it? and can she save other young women from becoming victims of the Lover Heart Killer?
I loved the protagonist and the whole cast of secondary characters that were well-drawn. Amy's personal life struggles do not take away from the main plot, but rather enhance it as the killer is obsessed with Amy's biological parents and their crimes. I even learnt a new word from this book 'hybristophilia'- an attraction for people who have committed really dark crimes. Amy herself needs to accept where she comes from and who she is.
The book is a compulsive page-turner with its tight plot and relentless pace. There is something about Caroline Mitchell's writing style that keeps the reader's attention engaged throughout the book.
I will go back and re-read the previous two books, because I want to get a bit more perspective on Amy's family issues, but it is possible tostart following the series from this one as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

An excellent mystery that kept me hooked till the end. I appreciated the different POV, the solid mystery that kept me guessing and the well developed characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is a case of it's me, not the book.

I think it is time for me to move on from this series. Onto the next!

Amy Winter is my girl, I’m claiming her right now! Although, to be fair I think I’ve claimed her after every book.

Caroline Mitchell is an expert at bringing us a strong, bullheaded, take no prisoners female lead and I love every second of it.

Boss man tells you to sit this one out? Uhm, no. Probably not!

Unique to Caroline Mitchell’s writing it the alternating chapters between Amy and our murderer. That’s right- you know who it is from the start, what you don’t know is the why- will he/she be caught?

There’s a quite fun little twist I kinda saw coming towards the end, but didn’t fully expect! And that was loads of fun.

If you haven’t started The DI Amy Winter series- I highly recommend doing so. She’s my favorite killer catcher.

It started with obsession...and ended in murder.

This, the third book in the DI Amy Winter series, is the best one yet. Caroline Mitchell has been a bit hit or miss for me but this one is a winner. Amy is shopping with her sister one morning, they are looking at the window of a bridal boutique, admiring a Valentines Day themed display, especially the dummy attired in an amazing sparkly, lacy dress when Amy notices... a trickle of blood issuing from the dummy’s mouth. Oh wait, it’s not actually a dummy! And so begins the rather sinister case of the Love Heart killer, as the victim has a heart inscribed on the flesh of her chest. This killer is meticulous, the display has been carefully planned. Amy believes he will strike again. And she is right.

At the same time her biological mother, Lillian Grimes, is appealing her murder conviction of many years ago and the case is soon to be heard. Amy is horrified at the thought of her mother being released from custody and at the same time she feels she has somehow to ‘atone’ for her mother’s crimes, to expunge the taint of the blood that runs through her veins. Poor Amy has to deal with her mother’s impending release while trying to catch a deadly killer - is her mind on the job? Can she trust her instincts or will she find herself in terrible trouble?

In this particular book there’s no hiding it - we know who the killer is right from the start. Although it was still gripping and had dramatic moments, I think knowing this detracted a teensy bit from my enjoyment. Overall though - a very enjoyable thriller. I really liked the cover too, it set the tone really well. My thanks to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Caroline Mitchell for providing this book for me to review.

Yet another great read from this author. This is the third book in the brilliant Detective Amy Winter series . A fantastic series with a great plot but also a brilliant and intriguing backstory throughout the series. Cant wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommend this series

It is coming up to St Valentine’s Day and Amy has some rare time off work at last. She is out in town shopping with her sister when a Bridal display lures her in to take a good look at the flawless seated mannequin, beautifully dressed in a bejewelled, lacy bridal gown made up with the skill of a practised artist. She looks absolutely gorgeous, relaxing there, thinking about her longed for wedding day. Just when Amy’s eyes have feasted on the store’s window display and it is time for her to make way so that others in the crown can move forward, eagle-eyed Amy notices a slither of bright red blood emerging from the mouth of the display-piece and slowly following the rules of gravity, falling towards her stunning dress. Straight away the awful truth dawns on her; the blonde mannequin is indeed the victim of a flashy, flamboyant murderer, presenting his prey as a piece of art for everyone to admire. Amy, aka DI Amy Winter, calls in the atrocity and her third investigation in this powerful killer thriller series is soon to begin.
With her boss Pike no longer in charge and Donovan having been given the position, Amy and her team begin their meticulous search for answers and evidence. Now sharing a prized and spacious office with her new boss Donovan, she allots each member of her team with tasks to complete. Author Caroline Mitchell, with her invaluable knowledge of police procedures from her time when she was in the force, adds authenticity and realism to her novel and soon the jigsaw has its very first pieces of information to slot in place. An historic murder way back in the past carries the same hallmarks as the current slaying, although both in contrasting areas. Could they be linked? Amy focuses as the investigation gathers pace and a second body is discovered displayed in a famous museum. This odious killer likes to show off but is immaculate in his post murder habits, leaving no forensic evidence. With both current victims linked by the Sugar Babes high class dating agency, Amy is soon making contact with their only other link, an older lady who looks after her girls.
This is the dramatic and lurid opener to this third novel in the popular DI Amy Winter thriller and mystery series. I was absorbed in the story right from the highly original start, throughout the book up and until the ingenious and nerve-wracking ending. The story line was so tense and fast-paced. I look forward to reading novels in a series because I learn more and more about the returning characters as each novel sees further development of their individual stories. This is particularly so here with Amy attending her birth mother’s murder retrial while in the middle of her current case. Her mother and father are a notorious killing duo and in this novel Lillian Grimes makes an unwelcome return to her daughter’s lives. The new characters are, as always created and developed with talent and skill. The psychopathic killer is truly evil and obsessive, self-seeking and driven, odious and daring. He seems to be invisible and always one step ahead of the game.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Thomas & Mercer through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. I was totally awed throughout the entire story as the twists and turns and blind alleyways came time and time again. This is a 4.5* review and I’m already counting the minutes until the next DI Amy Winter novel is published. You won’t have long to wait, as Caroline is working on the fourth in the series already.