The Child Before

by Michael Scanlon

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Pub Date Jun 05 2019 | Archive Date Jun 05 2019

Mystery & Thrillers

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Description

She began to sing, the girl. Her voice was soft, so soft it was almost of the wind. It was a lullaby. She cradled her arms, rocking them gently back and forth. As if she was holding a baby. But she was not. Her arms were empty.

On a cold morning a cyclist finds the brutally-slaughtered body of a woman in her car, on a remote lane leading to the long-abandoned Irish village of Kelly’s Forge.

But when Detective Finnegan Beck arrives from the nearby town of Cross Beg to investigate he notices there’s a baby’s seat in the back of the car. A bottle of baby’s milk lying in the footwell. And no child.

Little Róisín isn’t the first child to go missing from that same remote location though. There was another baby girl, taken more than fifty years before, who was never found. Has too much time passed for there to be a connection, or does something – or someone – link these two crimes?

Beck claims he does not want to stay in Cross Beg. His heart is back in Dublin, with the woman he loves. But, knowing that a child’s life depends on him changes things. He knows he has to find the missing baby girl. Because if he doesn’t, he fears there’s a chance everyone will give up the baby for dead, just like they did before…

This dark, twisted page turner will keep you up all night. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, Patricia Gibney, and Rachel Caine.

She began to sing, the girl. Her voice was soft, so soft it was almost of the wind. It was a lullaby. She cradled her arms, rocking them gently back and forth. As if she was holding a baby. But she...

A Note From the Publisher

*** THIS IS AN UNCORRECTED ADVANCED REVIEW COPY ***

Advance Praise

Readers are loving Michael Scanlon:

‘Gripping... Keeps you guessing till the end... Unrelenting pace... excellent writing... The needle of suspicion keeps moving from one suspect to another... If you loved the detective series of Harry Bosch or Cormoran Strike, you will enjoy this one.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘A page-turning, don't-put-it-down, yes-you-will-be-up-all-night kind of read… amazing!’ SPW Writes, 5 stars ‘Cracking... made me tear through the pages... I thought I knew whodunnit it. I wasn’t even close! ... gripping.’ Between My Lines

‘Omg!! What an amazing and thrilling story!!!’ Goodreads reviewer

‘Started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming... I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!’ Goodreads reviewer

‘Tense, powerful and emotional... gripped my attention from the very first page and I couldn’t tear my eyes away... fantastic.’ Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars

‘Crikey, I wasn't expecting the bad guy to be HIM! ... I was pulled into the story from the very beginning and every time I had to put the book down, I couldn't wait to pick it up again... All the stars from me and looking forward to the rest of the series.’ Rona Halsall, 5 stars

‘I have never, ever read a whole book in one day… until now.’ Booked Up Girl, 5 stars

‘Bloody brilliant... Oh my goodness me... One seriously, fantastically and brilliantly written book with cracking characters and cracking storylines. I was hooked on this book from the first moment Simply unputdownable... I totally and utterly flipping well loved [it]... Simply outstanding.’ Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars

Readers are loving Michael Scanlon:

‘Gripping... Keeps you guessing till the end... Unrelenting pace... excellent writing... The needle of suspicion keeps moving from one suspect to another... If...