I have been a fan of Carol Wyer's books from the 1st one of Natalie Ward series.
This is the 7th book in the series and like the other 6, it has a good story line. The police procedural is well written.

There is a serial killer on the loose in Samford and DCI Natalie and DC Lucy, with their team are racing against time to bring the killer to a halt. Add to all this Natalie has to deal with the issues with her estranged sister. The new team too is taking time to work as a unit and there is a possibility of a mole amongst them. How they all find a balance and bring the criminal to justice is a race to finish line

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

Katie and Amelia are two troubled teenagers working as prostitutes in Samford. They are both brutally murdered within days of eachother. Their only connection is Tommy, their pimp. The only problem is that the police can find no trace of Tommy and have virtually no leads as to his whereabouts. This is DI Lucy Carmichael's first case since being promoted. She is under huge pressure to bring in a result fast. DCI Natalie Ward is mentoring Lucy through her first big murder investigation but it's complex. Then another murder victim turns up and the case takes a different turn.

I enjoyed Somebody's Daughter. It's a pretty straightforward police procedural with plenty of twists and turns. Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy.

I have been a fan of Carol's work for a fair while now. I love the standalone books that she has written as well as the bestselling series' involving DI Robyn Carter and DCI Natalie Ward. The latest instalment of the series featuring DCI Natalie Ward is called 'Somebody's Daughter' and it was released on 9th July 2020. It is another amazing read from Carol Wyer, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more about that in a bit.
What can I say about DCI Natalie Ward? I took to her from the start and it didn't take me long until I felt as though I had reunited with an old friend in Natalie. She has recently gained promotion and she is finding her feet in her new role. Her home life seems fairly settled at the start. She has moved in with her boyfriend, who also works for the police. She has two issues with her home life at present. She desperately misses her daughter, who sadly died. At the same time she is trying to bond with her partner's daughter, but things are not going well in that respect. I wasn't sure if the little girl resents Natalie or if her mother had filled her head with negative thoughts about Natalie. Natalie is a hard working, well respected and well liked by her colleagues who all seem loyal towards her. Natalie is tough, determined, tenacious but at the same time she is incredibly caring, kind and compassionate. She tries not to let her emotions show but she is only human and every so often she can't help but show them.
Oh my flipping word, 'Somebody's Daughter' was another amazing read from Carol Wyer. I was gripped by the story from the start and I ended up on the edge of my seat throughout. I picked this book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to pass the odd half hour but I ended up enjoying the story that much that I read way more than a couple of chapters and I was reading for hours at a time. At times I literally had to prise the book out of my hands and force myself to put the book down to either eat or even sleep. If I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about the book. If I had to put the book down, then I would immediately look forward to being able to get back to the book. I didn't want to miss a single second of the story. I ended up binge reading the book in just under 48 hours, which for me is really good going.
For me, 'Somebody's Daughter' was superbly written but then I think that to be true of all of Carol's books. She certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draws you into the story. For me, this book was perfectly paced- it hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading 'Somebody's Daughter' felt like being on one hell of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns to it than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. Just when you thought that the action had settled down and you could catch your breath, then off the action would go again. 'Somebody's Daughter' is a gripping and tense read.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Somebody's Daughter' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will be reading more of Carol's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Another mystery solved, but so weird for Natalie to be a DCI and Lucy in her place. I love that we have seen the growth of this team. Watching this group find how they fit in this new arrangement and feeling the growing pains along with them. At the end of every book with Ward I am always excited and eager for the next.

Natalie’s family is changing both at work and at home. The evolution of time passing, grief changing and frankly people changing is almost inevitable, but reading how each is handling it is so fascinating. I don't think I could ever tire of this series and hope it never ends.

This is the seventh in the Natalie Ward series and each one is better than the last, The more we read, the more we respect Natalies Detective skills and more importantly her ability to be so fierce yet vulnerable. How she keeps going astounds me. Her work and life is emotionally draining yet despite the emptiness she finds small joys where others couldn’t. Immersed in yet another soul destroying case, Natalie keeps going to discover the truth regardless of the circumstances or consequences. If I ever need a cop, I hope Natalie answers the call. Tense and terse, its another five star read from Carol Wyer.

This is book seven in the Detective Natalie Ward series which is set in Samford in Staffordshire. Natalie was slowly sorting her life out, she had finally moved in with Mike and things were really good between them. Josh liked him but his daughter Thea was proving to be hard work. It was coming up to Fireworks night and she had arranged a fireworks party as Thea was staying that weekend. Everything was sorted, Thea was ignoring her as usual when she got the call to say she was needed at a crime scene.

Detective Natalie Ward arrived at the car park to find a young teenage girl had been murdered and just left there but luckily there was a witness. A homeless man said he had seen her arguing with someone about 4pm. The man was about six foot one or two, slim with frizzy hair. Natalie can’t help remembering her daughter Leah and that this young girl was somebody’s daughter. The team managed to identify the girl as Amelia Saunders, a missing teenager who had ran away from home after falling out with her dad. Amelia had moved in with her boyfriend Tommy but he had become violent and persuaded her to work the streets.

After a television appeal, they learnt of another missing teenager connected to Tommy but as they were trying to locate her, she was found in Prince’s park, on a bench, strangled. Natalie and the team were even more determined to get the murderer of these young girls then ever as Katie hadn’t been dead that long. Was Tommy the killer though?

Sunday morning brought another twist for the team when they were informed of a body in the centre of Samford. It turned out to be Rachel Hardy but she had the word ‘guilty’ written on her forehead. What was the link with the other two murders? Was there one? Natalie was sure they were linked but how? Then it seems some sensitive information about the case was leaked to the media but who would do that? Natalie speaks to Bev Gardner, her arch enemy and gets her to hold off but it costs her. On Monday evening the news came in that Eugene Hardy had been found dead in the Prince’s Park toilets, with the word ‘guilty’ on his forehead. If things couldn’t get any worse, the next day they found out one of their main suspect’s Tommy was dead in the canal. It looked like he had been beaten before he went in. The autopsy proved Tommy had been strangled then put in the canal. Who was behind these killings? Would they be able to catch him?

Wow, this was a book filled with lots of twists and turns. It was a brilliantly thought out plot and superbly written, it kept the killer well hidden from the reader. I got hooked as soon as I started reading and just loved the easy reading style which meant I read it in a day, I wanted to know who did the deed! Carol has developed this series so well and I think this is one of the best in the series.

Somebody’s Daughter is the seventh instalment in the Detective Natalie Ward series set in the small, fictional town of Samford in the Midlands. Newly promoted to DCI Natalie has been chosen to lead a new unit and colleague Lucy Carmichael has become a DI giving her a larger role in the plot. When the body of teenager Amelia Saunders is discovered in West Gate car park the team have their first case after their rearrangement. The following day another young girl’s corpse is found on a park bench and not a million miles from the first victim; this second victim is Katie Bray. Both girls have links to a local pimp and drug dealer named Tommy who the team believe lured these two vulnerable runaways into prostitution. The case becomes more complicated when the third victim targeted is an affluent older woman who had the word GUILTY emblazoned across her forehead in ink. The seemingly random victimology makes it difficult to work out the motives behind the killings so the team get to work.

This is a stonker of a thriller as Wyer shows her prowess when it comes to penning a story that'll get under your skin. It's tense from the outset and it continues to grow ever more so until turning every page is a daunting tasks of what-ifs and the team are chasing down every possible lead in their desperation to bring the killings to a close. The team is made up of intelligent, interesting characters whose only thought is getting justice for what has happened. Natalie's promotion means she is now supposed to be more managerial than hands-on but that doesn't work for too long as she can't seem to help herself despite the criticism from other colleagues. The narrative never lets up and is not only packed with intense action it is full of suspense, drama and lots of intrigue too. There are some clever and unpredictable twists and turns and the well conceived plot makes this an absorbing, immersive and addictive page-turner. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

A riveting and remarkable read!

Somebody’s Daughter is my fourth encounter with Detective Natalie Ward and her team. In this seventh instalment of the superb crime/mystery series by Carol Wyer, Natalie Ward's life has seen a lot of changes. She has been promoted to DCI and has moved in with Head of Forensics, Mike Sullivan. Though she now spends more time behind her desk, when she gets a call about the discovery of dead teenage girl Amelia Saunders, she immediately goes to the scene. When another girl, Katie Bray is found murdered, Natalie and her team immediately spot an indisputable link. But when a third woman is found murdered, the MO is inconsistent. Meanwhile, Lucy Carmichael has also been promoted to the role of DI, and she plays a massive part in helping to solve the murders.

Readers are privy to Natalie's private life, including her relationship with Mark, and her attempts to bond with his daughter, Thea. Also under scrutiny is Natalie's teenage son, Josh.

The pace was relentless, the narrative riveting and as the story unfolded, I was submerged in a tangled web of lies, secrets and deceit, suffering from tension and shocks that held me in a vice-like grip of just-one-more-page syndrome! I loved that Carol Wyer has created the perfect balance between developing really solid characters and such a complex, multi-layered mystery. I've read a fair few thrillers and this one is right up there with my other favourites. I have no hesitation in giving this first-rate thriller five wonderful stars and I really must make it my mission to read the first three books of the series. Any reader who favours complex police procedural thrillers will absolutely delight in this book and I can't recommend it highly enough.

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

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
This is Book 7 in the Natalie Ward series by Carol Wyer and Somebody’s Daughter Is another excellent and entertaining book in this series. It was interesting to read how the different characters such as, Natalie and Lucy have changed with their promotions. The storyline was interesting and intriguing to see how the victims were killed and why. In the case of the two young victims Kate and Amelia it was very sad to see how they changed after they left home and how they died.
Highly recommended.

Somebody’s Daughter by Carol Wyer is the seventh in the Detective Natalie Ward series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)

DI Natalie Ward is a strong female detective, who has had a rough time.  Her husband's gambling and lies finally destroyed their marriage, but the loss of their daughter was the final straw.  Things are finally settling down now that she's back at work.  Natalie's team consists of: Lucy Carmichael, Murray Anderson and Ian Jarvis.  Her boss is Dan Trasker, and she is in love with Mike Sullivan, her husband's one-time best friend.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

A lot of has changed for Natalie.  She is now a DCI, has moved in with Mike Sullivan (Head of Forensics), and she and her ex-husband David are now on speaking terms.  Her biggest problem is getting Mike's 7-year old daughter to like her.

 Lucy has now become a DI, and is leading the team (under Natalie).  When the body of a young girl is found, and then another, both showing signs that they were prostitutes, the race is on to find the unknown "Tommy" who knew them both.  But then other bodies turn up, and their connection to Tommy is questionable.  Are they dealing with two murderers, or is there something they can't see.  Lucy suddenly doesn't feel qualified, and it is all that Natalie can do to assure her, and everyone else, that she is.

Meanwhile, a voice from Natalie's past reaches out, but she may not be ready to handle that yet.


My Opinions:  

This was interesting, as the author has put Natalie in a more supervisory role, and Lucy has stepped up to manage day-to-day activities.  Their personal lives continue to evolve within the books, giving the characters more depth.

The plot was interesting, and a little complicated, which is always good.   It seemed so straight-forward....until it wasn't.  The writing, as always is good, and the pace fine.

One of the topics of the book deals with homelessness and teenagers, and I felt the author had a good look at why this can happen, and how devastating it can be.  As well, the book looked at mental illness and how one horrific act can result in a lifetime of misery if it isn't dealt with at the time.  In one way, it was so sad.  In another, there was a perpetrator who didn't get what he deserved, and I wish this had not been left out.

This series really needs to be read in order, as there is a lot of background that is needed to really get the feel of the characters.

Overall, this series is a must for those who like police procedurals.

"Look around you. Do you really know what dark secrets your neighbour or your husband or your daughter are hiding? You judge people by how they look or how they seemingly live their lives, but if you could spend an hour in my shoes and really see what goes on, you would be horrified. Truly horrified. "

The discovery of the body of a teenage girl is the start of a new investigation for DCI Natalie Ward and her team. Amelia Saunders is a teenage runaway who worked the streets and was found strangled to death in a car park. Just a day later, the body of another vulnerable teenage girl is found on a park bench. Katie Bray was also a runaway who worked the streets and had connections to the same man thought to be Amelia’s pimp. But when the body of a wealthy woman is found with the word ‘guilty’ written on her forehead, the team is forced to reassess everything they thought they knew. As they search for a connection between her and the other victims, Natalie and her team are in a race against the clock to find their killer before they strike again.

Carol Wyer has done it again. This fast-paced, layered thriller was impossible to put down. In the seventh installment in the Natalie Ward Series we see a happier, more settled Natalie in her private life. But professionally, things are as intense and crazy as ever. Natalie has recently been promoted to DCI, with Lucy Carmichael taking over her old role, and she and the team are still getting used to the new dynamics. There's some tension in the ranks, Lucy feels unsure of her abilities, and someone is leaking information to the press; all while they are hunting a clever, confident and methodical killer and a case that keeps throwing up surprising developments at every turn. The pressure is as the body count increases and they race to stop the killer.

As with all Wyer’s books, this is skillfully written and had me hooked from the first page. I found this one impossible to predict, keeping me on my toes and then knocking me for six with the big reveal. I feel like with each book she just gets better and better, proving why she is one of my favourite authors and her books are ones not to be missed.

Seven books in, I know Natalie and her team well, and I really enjoyed seeing a happier and more settled Natalie this time. I liked her and Mike together and she deserves a bit of a break. I liked that we also finally got some answers about why she is estranged from her sister, Frances, and am looking forward to seeing where the author takes that in the next book.

Compelling, tense, intricate and twisty, Somebody’s Daughter is a spectacular thriller from a series every crime lover should read. And, please, someone pick this up for a TV series already!

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Somebody’s Daughter’ by Carol Wyer in exchange for an honest review.

This is Book 7 in Wyer’s Detective Natalie Ward series of police procedurals set in the fictional town of Samford, Staffordshire. This is the first book that I have read by Carol Wyer. While some background was provided it was clear that I had missed a fair few events that impacted on character development and ongoing relationships. So at times I felt a bit lost though it didn’t detract from the cases being investigated.

When the frail body of a teenage girl is discovered strangled in a parking lot DCI Natalie Ward is aware that she is somebody’s daughter. The girl is identified as Amelia Saunders, who had run away from an unhappy home into a worse situation as her new boyfriend, Tommy, had her working the streets to feed his drug habit.

The next day another teenage girl is found strangled. She is also a runaway with connections to Tommy. The body count continues to rise though with victims who didn’t fit the previous pattern. Is there a connection or are there two killers?

I found this a solid, well written police procedural that proved an engaging page turner. Its subject matter is dark and Wyer didn’t shy away from depicting such. Based on my experience of this novel, I likely will read more of Carol Wyer’s work.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

When Natalie is promoted to lead the new crime team she does not expect what she gets. Murders begin. There is a press leak in the department. The boss wants to micromanage and her time at home becomes limited. Who is killing these young women and why? Will jealousy inside the unit effect the outcome. What about negative press? Who on the inside is feeding the press info? Then more murders happen. This time the murders are males. When the killer starts to label the victims as "guilty" the action heats up. Is an unlikely suspect that is also a victim the real killer? Read the book for an exciting thrill ride to find out the answers to this and other questions in this exciting murder mystery. Thanks #Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy. This book tells the story of a possible serial killer murdering young girls. It follows the investigation throughout. The author did a good job of making the writing flow. There definitely were some things that kept me guessing at points in the book. However, overall I had a hard time keeping focused. There was a lot of dialogue regarding the investigation that seemed unnecessary at times. I would have preferred a little more character development. Nonetheless, I am still interested in trying to read another book by this author in the future.

This is the seventh book following Detective Natalie Ward. A mystery of young girls found strangled. Then the next murders are found with messages on the body how are they all connected. There is a dark side uncovered in this story from homelessness to drugs and prostitution. Our Detective’s team has a rollercoaster ride to keep up with this killer. When a local journalist becomes the focus of our killer Natalie will put her life on the line.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is book number 7 in a series but don’t let that put you off as I had only read number 6 in the series and you can easily follow it without having read the others.

A new team has been set up with two detectives recently promoted who feel they have to prove themselves and the new team almost immediately get a murder case, which turns into more than one body and maybe more than one killer.

Kept you guessing until the end. Can’t wait for the next.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Somebody’s Daughter’, the seventh in the Detective Natalie Ward series written by Carol Wyer, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DCI Natalie Ward has been newly promoted to lead a new super-unit and her colleague Lucy Carmichael is the new detective inspector. Their first case is when the body of a teenage girl identified as Amelia Saunders is found dead in Samford’s West Gate car park. The following day the body of Katie Bray is discovered on a park bench. They suspect Tommy, drug-addict and pimp, to be involved as he has connections to both girls but when a wealthy woman is next to be murdered and has ‘Guilty’ written on her forehead Natalie and Lucy start to doubt their earlier assumptions. This is a tough case for Natalie as every time she sees the body of a young girl it reminds her of her own daughter Leigh who died just over a year ago.

‘Somebody’s Daughter’ is another excellent and tense thriller featuring Detectives Natalie Ward, Lucy Carmichael and Murray Anderson who are part of an intelligent and well-rounded team. It has a gripping plot with lots of drama, suspense and intrigue, and although I tried to figure out the identity of the killer I failed miserably. I’ve enjoyed reading more of the characters’ backgrounds and how they juggle their private lives whilst coping with a very demanding job. This is a totally addictive action-packed thriller that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading and I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

I read one book from this series a while ago, but had no problem getting into the book. Even when someone's past is mentioned, the author weaves it so skillfully into the story that I could easily follow events.

The story itself grabs you from the beginning, when the first girl's body is found, and keeps you wondering how each case is connected as more bodies turn up. There are some great characters as well, each one adding subtle layers as their role in the story is slowly revealed.

The author also treats the subject of homelessness with great sensitivity, and brings a harsh reality into her novel in a way that touches you emotionally and makes you think. Teenage girls running away from home is nothing new, but there is a darker side which everyone should be made aware of, and the author does this in Somebody's Daughter. A well written book that I highly recommend.

Just finished reading this one - couldn't put it down!
Carol Wyer's series have become some of my favorite books and this newest chapter in the Natalie Ward series does not disappoint!

The books can be read as stand alone, but also have continuing themes that make the series fun to follow.

Some time has passed between this book and the last - it is interesting to see how the characters have developed. The mystery was difficult to figure out, until about 3/4 of the way through then it was an up all night situation to figure out how the team put the puzzle pieces together!

Definitely recommend this one!

Oh my, I absolutely devoured this book!! Carol Wyer has done it again. Fast paced and gripped from the start. I couldn’t put it down, but I don’t want it to end. Fantastic book