This is about child disappearances over many years in the UK. It is well researched. It is very well written. This was an ‘interesting’ read.

Unlike the majority of true crime novels this book focuses on the victims and what lead up to their disappearances and how the authorities and families navigated the aftermath.

This is a well researched book that provides detail in a way that doesn’t glamorize the crime or the perpetrator.

This was a very sad yet interesting read at just how many children were victimized and how hard it was to capture a perpetrator without modern science and technology.

End of Innocence is a very interesting book. I had not heard of the cases/killer before reading this. I have heard this is the first book in a new series about unsolved cases and if so I look forward to the next book!

A look at the lives of the young victims of serial killer, Robert Black. From April Fabb, & Christine Markham, to Susan Maxwell, & Caroline Hogg, over a period of several decades, young girls went missing from their neighbourhoods. Whilst going out on their bicycle to deliver newspapers, walking to the local playground or corner shop, or bunking off school, these girls were there one minute & gone the next. No cries for help, no screams, no witnesses. Sometimes there would be evidence such as their bicycle left on its side with one wheel still spinning & the newspapers strewn over the ground, whilst at another scene their bicycle had been thrown into a hedge, but in most cases, the girl would simply disappear into thin air, never be heard from again & their bodies never found.

Unlike today, computers & forensics were in their infancy when the first of these girls was abducted. Information was still handwritten on index cards which meant that linking cases in different areas was nigh on impossible. This is how Robert Black got away with it for so long. His job allowed him to travel all over the UK on his own & he knew back roads & shortcuts to make a quick getaway. Even in the few cases where the body of his victim was found, little physical evidence was gleaned, & it was actually painstaking reconstruction of his movements using a paper trail that enabled detectives to eventually charge him with just a few of the abduction-murders they believe he committed from the 1960s to when he was finally arrested in 1990. He received multiple life sentences for 10 charges but was linked to at least 14 other cases. Unfortunately Black died in prison in 2016 before he could be charged with further murders.

This was an absolutely riveting read. I remember hearing about the disappearance of some of these girls when I was growing up. Their cases would appear on Crimewatch, a British TV show which showed reconstructions of unsolved cases & appealed to the public for information, on the anniversary of their abductions. Watching that programme as a young teenager was both compelling & chilling. This book discusses the crimes but doesn't linger on the details, as the title says, this is about the stories of the victims & their families, many of whom died without ever knowing what happened to their daughters. The author also looks at how the media focuses on abduction cases, the issue of 'perfect' victims, & why some cases hit the headlines whilst others never seem to attract the same level of publicity. Harrowing but well worth reading.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Ad Lib Publishers/Mardle Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

A very well researched book about the hideous crimes of Robert Black against innocent children narrated by the parents, friends and families' point of view. It's a compassionate and respectful book, definitely recommended for fans of true crime.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

This is a richly written story of child disappearances over the decades in the UK. You feel the anguish of the families searching for answers. Good research and information about this lesser known serial killer named Robert Black. This book is the first of a series.

End Of Innocence looks at cold cases of girls who seemingly vanished. In one case, a girl was taken a matter of minutes after seeing friends. These cases are incredibly sad and Zoe Apostolides has shown great care and empathy in telling their stories. It takes quite a while before we get to Robert Black, and as I was reading it on Kindle, I even forgot it was supposed to be about him. In some ways this is good, as it means the focus is on the victims, but a brief mention earlier might have been helpful. Apostolides ties the stories into events of the day to provide some context. I was very moved by End Of Innocence and it's a sad reminder that not all cases are saved. But with new forensics technics, there is hope that some answers can be found... An intriguing and informative read.

A sensitively written and poignant account of the victims of the child killer Robert Black. This contains a lot of, carefully researched, background material on the victims and their families and their lives before and after the awful crimes which gives you an immense sense of empathy and loss. It really hits you how ordinary and innocent the victims and their families were going about their everyday lives and just how easily a victim could’ve been someone you know.
The investigations into the murders is represented well and with an insight and reminder into how much Police investigations have changed since the advent of newer technologies and computerised systems. In just a few key decades the changes are vast as are the changes in forensics and in particular how it can help with cold cases.
I found this book truly interesting and the very human stories of loss heartbreaking, now that I have a more inside understanding. Humbling and a recommended read.

End of Innocence sees the start of a new crime series which explores infamous and unsolved cold cases. This first book explores the history behind the unresolved disappearances of young girls spanning from the 1960s, the 1970s and right up until the 1990s, all of which may be attributed to the notorious child kidnapper, and murderer, Robert Black.

Without sensationalisng the tragedy of the disappearances of so many young lives the book relates the facts which were available at the time and the police responses to complex investigations which left them baffled. Without the use of modern day technology the investigations relied on 'good old policing' methods, namely door to door conversations and a heavy reliance on witnesses and with paper trails which stretched endlessly it was never easy to correlate information. Although most of these crimes were committed in broad daylight no-one saw ever what happened until a major breakthrough in 1990 when an competent witness saw an abduction take place, and at long last Robert Black was apprehended.

End of Innocence is an interesting and well put together dossier of one man's alleged crimes, the dedication of those investigative teams, up and down the country, who never gave up hope that one day they would be able to offer some sort of resolution to those grieving families who never came to terms with the devastating loss of a beloved child.

Interesting read. This book focuses on the 1978 disappearance of Genette Tate. The 13-year-old schoolgirl vanished while out delivering newspapers on her bicycle in the Exeter countryside; no trace of her was ever discovered.

A very well researched book. With plenty of detail.
The book talks about missing girls in the 60s and 70s. Details of the case and what was done to find them.

I was very sad to hear about the ones that went missing.
However the book was fascinating and I enjoyed the majority of it.
At times I thought the book was too long and some parts not needed.
However it is clear that the author has researched the subject in great detail.

Patently not a nice subject to write about, but a story that requires to be told nonetheless.
Being of an age to remember the reports of these girls going missing over numerous years
I found this book fascinating in that individual investigations were going on around the country
and that police systems weren't advanced enough to highlight that these cases may be connected.
Thankfully some good came from all of this, in that police forces throughout the country now have
a central data base to utilise and look for similarities between different cases.
It does however leave you wondering, just how many other victims there might be of the monster
known as Robert Black

3.5 Stars. The beginning of the book is great. It goes into great detail of the 4 missing girls. The author really paints the scene and you can feel the pain those families felt never knowing what happened to their daughter. The middle of the book kind of goes off in another direction, it left me a bit confused as to where it was going, but it does all tie together in the end.
All the cases are greatly researched and is a great true crime book and not graphic at all. Reading this, it makes you want to hold your children tight and never let go.

Very sad to come to what may be the end of D.I.Barton' s stories. Such a believable detective with a brilliant back story and an engaging and cohesive team of characters behind him. If he has to go -and I'm hoping he'll return following a spell at HQ-then this was,a worthy finale. Well researched story and red herrings aplenty. I like how well rounded the character are and showing the capacity for good and evil of which we are all capable.

A very detailed account of how investigations into child kidnappings and murders evolved over the decades. The author is decidedly thorough in their research for this story, however, as it progressed I found it became somewhat dry. I did appreciate the personal stories of the families who suffered such tragic losses and felt the author handled it respectfully. Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a very detailed and interesting account of the many heinous crimes against children by serial killer Robert Black.
Harrowing, eerie, yet extremely well written, it is a must-read for fans of true crime everywhere.

Robert Blacc was a prolific serial killer of children. His victims were not only the innocent children but men falsely accused of his crimes and this book tells the whole story. I think the author did a great job the story is told with great detail in care I thoroughly found myself not wanting to put the book down. I dare not say this is a great book because there isn’t anything great about murder, but it is definitely interesting. If you like True Crime then you definitely need to read this book. I highly recommend it to any one interested in serial killers. I received this book from netGally in the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

End of Innocence by Zoe Apostolides is the story of the crimes of child-killer Robert Black with a difference. While the excellent "The Face of Evil" by Chris Clark and Robert Giles is the story of the warped and disgusting murderer this is the tale of those the true crime books usually neglect , Black's victims,their friends ,families and communities and the many dedicated policemen who investigated his crimes over the years.

This is a chilling read despite,thankfully, the reader being spared overly explicit details of Black's crimes which are quite horrific enough when outlined. What really struck me was how quickly lives were destroyed,from the friends of one girl who spoke to her then found her bike in the road with the back wheel still spinning a few minutes later to the neighbour of the last girl he abducted who spoke her one minute and literally the next realised she was in a van with a stranger and being driven away..

This is a well-written book and the first in a series of books by Zoe Apostolides on "Cold Cases" . As a true crime buff I read it from start to finish in a day,it's incisive, detailed,compassionate and I look forward to the next one.