I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. Emma Hunter takes on a new investigation. A young woman commits suicide and her dying wish is to ask Emma to find her friend who went missing one night many years ago. Emma delves into the original investigation and tries to discover any further clues. A mystery that has baffled for years. An intiguing read that kept me on the edge of my seat

Isolated is the second in the Missing Children Case Files after Ransomed; I think you could probably step in here and read this one without having read Ransomed, because although there are some continuing threads, notably Emma’s quest for answers about her sister Anna’s fate, the main ‘case’ here is new, and completely resolved within this book.

Investigative journalist Emma Hunter once again gets drawn into looking into something when a tragedy occurs right in front of her (trigger warning for suicide) and a woman’s last words push Emma into looking into the case of a teenager who vanished 15 years ago. The girl vanished off a military base, though, and someone doesn’t want anyone asking any questions. The only living witnesses are too frightened to tell the truth.

The story is told in two timelines, what happened 15 years ago and today, as Emma investigates, and there is a tense switch between the two which I occasionally found jarring - the ‘back then’ timeline is told in the usual past perfect, but the ‘now’ timeline is told in present tense, not my favourite for narrative storytelling. I honestly think telling everything in past tense would be fine; the characters and situations were distinct enough I for one would never have become confused about which timeline I was reading in. I recognise why the choice was made, though, and really it’s a personal preference thing which didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this excellent story.

The only thing I could have wished for is something to actually happen in the romance stakes between Emma and Jack, rather than just Emma’s friends pushing her to do something. Possibly we’ll get something going in the next book of the series.

A genuinely excellent story with a heroine who’s very different from the usual police officer/FBI agent/private detective mystery protagonist, I’m absolutely loving this series. Five stars.

Journalist Emma Hunter has worked hard trying to find missing children. She's working on a cold case of a teenager who went missing fifteen years ago. While Emma is ar her agents, a young woman falls from the roof. In her dying moments, Natalie asks Emma to find Sally. Emma, her journalist friend, Rachel and Jack, a police officer join forces to try and find out what happened that night.

The story lternwtes between then and now format. Then: is when Sally, Louise, Jane and Natalie sneak out 9n 5he night Sally disappeared. The girls make a pact never to tell what happened. Now: Rachel is a writer and her sister is still missing. All 4he characters are well rounded and believable. 4hiw is a well written story with lots of twists. 4hisnis turning out to be a fantastic series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #MAHunter for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I couldn't connect with this story for a lot of little reasons. For example when Natalie wakes up in the hospital, her mother tells her that her leg was "quite infected from what the nurse told me, but too recent for any real infection to take hold". Well which is it? Is her leg quite infected? Or was it just so badly cleaned by her the night before that an infection was imminent? I could also point out how the night Natalie snuck out and she used her keys to unlock her front door BEFORE she went outside? Why would you need keys to unlock a door from the inside? And let's not forget the time the author told us in great detail how she painstakingly went down the stairs on her bottom so she could eavesdrop on a private conversation her parents were having only to have her just a few pages later, jumping out of bed, racing down the stairs and outside.

Now it's important that I mention here that I am reviewing an Advanced Reader Copy, so it's entirely possible that these things have been corrected between then and now. So now, I'm going to talk about the other aspects of this book that were less than enjoyable to me.

For starters, this book jumps between the "then" and Natalie's perspective to the "now" which is told entirely by a woman named Emma who is on the cusp of selling her second novel. At first I liked her. I liked the way she saw herself (and writers in general) and I thought I would be able to relate to her at least.

And then..... Emma goes to the now adult Natalie's room after her death and sees a box addressed to her, she can't possibly understand why it's there. Well maybe because you're a famous author known for uncovering the truth in your stories? That right there made me wonder just how she was able to make the connections that she did throughout this book when she overlooks the obvious answers like that. This low opinion of Emma was only made worse when she kept referring to the Wiccan religion as "Witchcraft" and claiming that she didn't realize it was "still a thing".

As for the story as a whole (and overlooking my lack of interest in the characters, or the multitude of things that were thrown in which I felt served no purpose other than to up the word count), this was a decent story. I'm still not exactly buying what happened in the past - I've grown up on military bases and they were not like that. Yes there is a certain air of taking care of their own, but not to the extent that we are led to believe in this story.

Added to that, I don't feel like I got closure with this one. Sure we were given the pieces to the puzzle, but I don't feel like we got to see the guilty parties actually prosecuted. There is also the fact that this story ends with a cliffhanger meant to encourage the reader to continue on with the series, however, at this point, I am unsure as to whether or not I will do so.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Amazon First Reads. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
Isolated is the second in The Missing Children Case Files series by M A Hunter. This book covers witchcraft, murder, child abuse, suicide and the army. It is a convoluted story which takes time to read through and follow until the end. There are many twists and turns until the climax of the storyline but it is worthwhile reading.
I look forward to reading the third book, Trafficked in The Missing Children Case Files by M A Hunter.
Highly recommended.

Isolated is book 2 in a series by M.A. Hunter. Investigative journalist Emma Hunter is working on the next case. It involves a missing teen from 15 years ago. Could a girl really go missing in a game of truth or dare in the middle of the woods? Is there witchcraft involved? As Emma works to solve this case, more clues come in her own missing sisters case. I love that there are two cases being worked on simultaneously throughout the book. One will be solved in the end and the other I assume will span the entire series. This book kept me turning the pages, just as the first book, Ransomed did. Can't wait for the next one to come along.

This is the second book in this series and is a great read.
Emma is about to have a meeting with her agent Maddie, when they get told a girl is threatening to throw herself off the roof. Maddie is trained with the Samaritans so goes up to help and Emma follows her.
The girl gives Emma a message before she jumps about her friend who is missing, Sally.
Emma feels that she needs to look into the disappearance and calls on her friend Rachel to help.
There seems to be links with witchcraft but Emma thinks there’s more to it.
The army base where the girls grew up is the focus for Emma and it seems there’s a few secrets hidden there.
Jack is on hand as well but doesn’t feature as much in this book as he’s still looking into the video files from the abuse case.
This is another great read in this gripping series.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A bloody pig’s head nailed to a wall…

Investigate journalist Emma Hunter is in the thick of another cold case featuring a game of truth or dare in a dark forest by a Dorset army base 15 years ago that went horribly wrong. Four girls went in, only three came out.

A Wiccan map splattered with red ink…

Wreathed in mist and memory, the barracks offered no remains of any kind, just a hole in the perimeter fence and years of unanswered questions.

An ancient ritual drenched in death…

But when Emma teams up with fellow firebrand reporter Rachel and whip-smart cold case expert Jack, she soon discovers it wasn’t a game at all as a grand and sinister pattern begins to unfurl around them.

What a fantastic follow up to book one. This is shaping up to be a great series.
This is a well written mystery with developed characters that are likeable.
I would highly recommend reading book one before book two as there is a back story about Emma’s sister which is continues in book two.
I am looking forward to book 3.

Isolated is the sophomore instalment in The Missing Children Case Files series, featuring Investigative Journalist Emma Hunter who specialises in cases involving children. I highly recommend reading the first book before this as Emma has an extensive backstory, which explains her career choice and tenacious nature. Emma Hunter has recently published her first book — a deep dive into a paedophile ring that was commanded from a home for wayward boys. An instant bestseller, The Monster Under the Bed exposed the rampant, systematic abuse carried out there and the perpetrators are now in prison. She is currently writing her next book, on the kidnapping of Lord Fitzume’s granddaughter and visits her literary agent, Maddie, in London to discuss some legal implications. While there she witnesses a woman, Natalie, commit suicide by jumping off the roof right in front of her. Her last words were seemingly directed at Emma: “You need to find her. Find Sally. Tell her, I’m sorry.” she then discovers that Natalie has left a box of old articles and newspaper clippings that refers to pagan-based cults and Wicca.

When Natalie was only 14, she and 3 friends, Sally, Louise and Jane, escaped to the woods one night but Sally Curtis was never to be seen again. Emma decides to investigate and starts looking into the military base where Sally vanished. This is a compulsive, multistranded story in which enough is happening to keep you enthralled throughout. I had real problems putting it down and devoured it in one swift gulp. Despite moving between different decades it is never confusing and the shifts are done seamlessly and superbly. Emma is a great, relatable protagonist who feels an affinity with the case of Sally as her sister Anna disappeared two decades ago now and Emma has been investigating it ever since. It's well written, with a real sense of tension and bags of intrigue and mystery as to what happened to Sally that fateful evening. Hooking me in pretty much immediately, I was absorbed by the twisty narrative, which held some surprises, and particularly good use of misdirection pulling you one way then another. Highly recommended. Many thanks to One More Chapter for an ARC.

Another wonderful addition to the series. This time we have Emma trying to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of a teenaged girl. The story starts on an eerie note and is sure to send shivers down your spine.
The story alternates between NOW and THEN. NOW is all about Emma's journey (cold and personal life) while THEN takes the reader into the past - Natalie coming to terms with her friend Sally's mysterious disappearance.

The ending seemed a little abrupt and unexpected and this is the reason for me giving the book 4 stars. I wouldn't say it was unbelievable but it definitely wasn't something I was expecting either.

Overall, this is no doubt, a well-written mystery. With each new book in the series, we see Emma coming a step closer to finding her missing sister. I recommend this book to mystery lovers.

This is the second book in a series featuring author Emma Hunter.
Emma is visiting her agent to discuss her latest book. Whilst there, there is an incident. A woman on the roof. The woman Natalie falls to her death . Before her death she pleads with Emma to find Sally. Emma shocked is set on a journey to discover why a young woman would take her life and what happened
The story is told in two timelines. The other is set on an Dorest army base fifteen years before. A group of girls meet late at nightingale the woods. Four went in. However, one does not return. Sally Curtis was never seen again. Natalie the woman who fell to her death was one of the women.
Emma , her journalist friend Rachel and Jack a police liaison officer join forces in this case.
Another fabulous book by M.A Hunter. Just as good as the first. The third book will be eagerly awaited.
I received this ARC from Netgalley. Opinions are my own

Emma is a journalist who has worked hard to find missing children- she's really always looking for her sister. Now, she's shocked when Natalie commits suicide in front of her, but not before beseeching her to find Sally. Who is Sally? The roots of this twisted tale go back years, when Sally and Natalie were two of four young women (well, teens, really) who went into the woods. They were interested in Wicca but something else was afoot. No spoilers from me. I did not read the first book, which I don't think was a problem. This is fast paced and twisty (albeit not entirely surprising in parts). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's entertaining.

Isolated is the second book in the missing Children Case Files, featuring investigative journalist Emma Hunter. I loved Ransomed, the first book and was excited to find out what would happen next. It started off really well but I wasn’t as hooked with the story this time as I was with the first book.

Emma is visiting her agent in London when she witnesses a woman throw herself off the roof of the building. The woman’s last words are to Emma and she tell her to find Sally and tell her that she’s is sorry. Here begins the search, who is Sally and what happened to her? And how didn’t this woman know Emma? This is all while editing her next book and continuing the search for her own missing sister.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK for my advanced copy of this book to read.

The second in the Missing Children Case files. This is now one of my favourite series. Emma Hunter is a journalist who is now a best selling author. Her expose The Monster Under The Bed a story of the systematic abuse that went on in a home for wayward boys is a best seller. Emma will do whatever she can to save a missing child, ever since her little sister Anna went missing when she was a child. Emma has never stopped looking for her little sister. One day Emma is in the office with her agent when there is a call. They both go rushing up to the roof. A young woman is standing on the edge and pleads with Emma to find Sally, bring her home and tell her I am sorry. Then she just lets go and plummets to her death. Emma has no choice now, she needs to keep this promise. Something happened in the middle of the night. In a clearing in the forest to four young girls . Only three girls made it home. Packed with tension and suspense, witchcraft, abuse and murder. Secrets and lies, this read had me on the edge of my seat. Heartbraking and gripping in equal measures. This is turning into another gripping and addictive series. Loved it more now please!!!!!
Thanks to HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Isolated is the second book in The Missing Children Case Files Series and it uses a dual timeline to illustrate how events from the past have come full circle to influence events in the present.

In all honesty I really wanted to read this book because the blurb made it sound so intriguing and I definitely wasn’t disappointed because I absolutely loved it. The storyline kept me hooked from the very beginning and I really liked the characters because they are relatable.


Emma is an investigative journalist which I believe has a lot to do with the fact that her sister went missing over twenty years ago. I think that Emma is a beautifully written complex character who helps others no matter what the consequences are. I find her to have a very intriguing backstory which I can’t wait to unfold in the future books.


This book had so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I definitely recommend this book if you want a thrilling, suspenseful and captivating read.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

Extraordinary! I really liked the first book in the series, but this one is even better! I feel like Emma gets to shine in this book. Even though she keeps on looking for her sister, this book focuses more on a 15-year-old case. Four girls went into the woods, three came back. What happened to the fourth girl?

The other three do not talk about that night. In fact they have a pact. One of them commits suicide, and that’s the point of no return for Emma. She wants to find out the truth. She’s a skilled investigating journalist, and a great protagonist. I liked her from the beginning, but she keeps on growing on me.

All the characters in the book are well-developed, lively, and I feel like they are in the same room with me while I’m reading the book. The mystery unfolds slowly, until this well-plotted book reveals its secrets.

I am very much looking forward to the third book in the series. I know M.A. Hunter is a master storyteller, but will he be able to top this one?

What a great follow up to the first book in this series! It begins right where the last book left off, which I haven't seen for awhile, but I like that style, as if it's just the next chapter in the same book. Emma Hunter is a journalist and newly famous author who just received word from Jack, a detective that she consults with, that there has been some new evidence of her sister's disappearance from 20 years ago. But this discovery soon gets put aside after a woman named Natalie commits suicide in front of Emma and her agent, Maddie, from the roof of their building. That's tragic enough, but Emma finds herself brought into this investigation when Natalie's room contains a box with Emma's name on it, even though she's a total stranger. And strange sure describes the room - as the walls are plastered with articles, connecting red threads, and worst of all, a pig's head nailed to the wall. What on earth is going on here?

She and Jack soon discover that Natalie was childhood friends with a young teenage girl who disappeared from a military base and was never seen again. This loss has haunted her for her entire life, and Emma believes it was the driving force behind her suicide. But wasn't Natalie proven to have nothing to do with the girl's disappearance? And is it true that her friend wasn't the first girl to disappear under suspicious circumstances? Emma and Jack delve deep into Natalie's past to uncover the truth and bring closure to the families of everyone affected, But no one expects just how much of the past was buried in lies.

The story moves from then...
Sally, Louise, Jane and Natalie sneaked out in the night. Sally disappeared and a pact was made to never tell what happened that night. It didn't happen!

And now.
Rachel, a writer, has a sister who is missing, but a sighting on a video tape years after gives her hope of finding her. But is then drawn into the missing girl case 15 years before.

This is the second book of the series. I haven't read book one but I don't feel as if I've missed anything. There are a few pointers to book one but it's easily followed. Although I do need to read it now because I was blown away and I'm looking forward to book three!

The writing style is brilliant and I was totally engrossed in it. It's edgy, gritty, dark and murky. Not for the fainthearted. It gets quite emotional. The characters were brought to life and totally realistic. Quite the page turner. I loved this style of flitting between time lines.

Having successfully concluded her last assignment best-selling investigative journalist, Emma Hunter, is working with her agent to sort out some legal wrangling when a young woman threatens to jump from the roof of the building.  What she finds out leads Emma to an army base close to home and another mystery concerning a missing child.

With the festive season coming up fast Emma finds herself drawn to those involved in the 15 year old cold case and wants nothing more than to end the heartbreak for all those involved.

This is the second Missing Children Case Files book and is just as original and enthralling as the first. I didn't previously spot first time that the author is M A Hunter and the main protagonist Emma Hunter, which is very clever and adds to the uniqueness of this series. The small group of people Emma works with are entertaining and well written and the interactions with her mum were heartbreakingly realistic.

This is becoming a firm favourite series for me and I now eagerly await book three. If the pattern continues this story will become Emma's next bestseller and she will continue her investigative work as she awaits its publication. Again, this is a great continuing plotline which is expertly done and makes me wonder just who the real M A Hunter actually is and if we will ever discover their real identity.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and can't recommend it highly enough.

Emma returns to solve more mysteries, very well written as usual with good characters and I can thoroughly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins (OMC) for giving me the opportunity to read this book