Synopsis

When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child?

DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as ‘incels’ or ‘involuntary celibates.’ Joesbury’s team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.

Pressure builds when the team learn the snatched child was just the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. Worse, the leaders of the movement seem to have singled out Lacey as the embodiment of everything they hate, placing her in terrible danger…

Review

*Contains Spoilers*

Another fabulous Lacey Flint story. Gripping, fast paced and easily devoured in just a few hours. It was wonderful to be back with the characters again.

The action is compelling, believable and terrifying. There are have been a few books about incels recently, but this is the most disturbing – perhaps because the author is female and can really relate to the impact for women.

Lacey Flint is at first yet another flawed policewoman with a troubled past, refusing to acknowledge her feelings… the usual. And yet, I still want to read about them. Hers in particular is an interesting one, due to the relationship with her ‘friend’ Victoria – an excellent character that we meet in the only other Bolton book I’ve read.

My only bugbear with this book is the last line… as with many stories, pregnancies are always thrown in almost casually, especially when characters do not want children or are not ready for a real relationship with their partner, let alone a baby. It’s a shame that so many authors use this as an arc.

However, others will love this twist and it would be unfair of me to remove a full star.

Thanks to Orion Books and NetGalley for my copy. Opinions my own.