Author: Caroline Mitchell
Genre: Thriller, police procedural
Published on: March 7, 2019 by Thomas & Mercer
This is the second novel in the DI Amy Winter series. I enjoyed the first book enough to continue with the next ones. The main character is Amy, a Detective Inspector. She works for the Notting Hill station. Amy heads a special unit that handles high-profile cases. After years in the force, she’s proved herself as one of the best investigators in the English police. Recently, Amy found out about a reason why she may be so good at her work. Amy happens to be the daughter of Jack and Lillian Grimes, a pair of serial killers known as the Beasts of Brentwood.
Since Jack is dead, Lillian took it upon herself to reveal the truth to Amy. She seems to be as wicked as you’d imagine. Now that Lillian has given up the burial sites of her and Jack’s victims, Amy expects she’s done with her. Unfortunately, Amy brought evidence to light that might set Lillian free. Amy hopes that won’t happen. At least one good thing came out of the experience. Amy reunited with Sally-Ann, the older sister she thought was dead. Sally-Ann is in a relationship with Paddy Byrne, an officer under Amy’s command. He's one of her most trusted colleagues.
Meanwhile, a new case is about to occupy Amy and her unit. A young girl has been abducted. The kidnapper left behind a little something that puts the child's mother in the hospital. Her husband happens to be Dr. Curtis, a famous psychologist/psychiatrist. It's soon revealed that the kidnapper has a quarrel with this man. This is shown in detail via a series of flashbacks that tell what happened to the kidnapper when he was a kid. It was pretty harrowing. There were a bunch of people involved, and they all play important roles throughout the book.
Not much time has passed since the events of Truth and Lies. Amy is still coming to terms with being the daughter of serial killers. So far, only her boss, DCI Pike, is aware of it. Their relationship changed a little bit since then. Amy and Pike are supposed to be good friends, but the latter is hot and cold about it. I think she needs to make up her mind. Paddy also knows who Amy truly is. She hasn’t told the rest of her team yet. Amy isn’t sure how they’ll react. It seems that she feels her team may commit mutiny if they learn the truth.
All the focus on Amy, her secret, and the kidnapper mean that other characters get way less substantial roles than they had before. Paddy’s one of them; he had a sizable subplot in book one. Now that his life’s pretty much in order, he takes a backseat. Sally-Ann, the sister Amy believed dead, is also conspicuous due to her absence. She’s supposed to be Paddy’s girlfriend, but is only mentioned a few times. Lillian Grimes also plays a significant role. Amy wished she’d seen the last of her, but it didn’t happen. Lillian sets events in motion that’ll give her daughter a lot of grief. Amy really has her plate full in this second installment of her series. Will she be able to catch the kidnapper, save two innocent children, and hold on to her team’s trust? You’ll have to read The Secret Child to find out. It wasn’t fast-paced, but it was entertaining. I really liked it.
Since Jack is dead, Lillian took it upon herself to reveal the truth to Amy. She seems to be as wicked as you’d imagine. Now that Lillian has given up the burial sites of her and Jack’s victims, Amy expects she’s done with her. Unfortunately, Amy brought evidence to light that might set Lillian free. Amy hopes that won’t happen. At least one good thing came out of the experience. Amy reunited with Sally-Ann, the older sister she thought was dead. Sally-Ann is in a relationship with Paddy Byrne, an officer under Amy’s command. He's one of her most trusted colleagues.
Meanwhile, a new case is about to occupy Amy and her unit. A young girl has been abducted. The kidnapper left behind a little something that puts the child's mother in the hospital. Her husband happens to be Dr. Curtis, a famous psychologist/psychiatrist. It's soon revealed that the kidnapper has a quarrel with this man. This is shown in detail via a series of flashbacks that tell what happened to the kidnapper when he was a kid. It was pretty harrowing. There were a bunch of people involved, and they all play important roles throughout the book.
Not much time has passed since the events of Truth and Lies. Amy is still coming to terms with being the daughter of serial killers. So far, only her boss, DCI Pike, is aware of it. Their relationship changed a little bit since then. Amy and Pike are supposed to be good friends, but the latter is hot and cold about it. I think she needs to make up her mind. Paddy also knows who Amy truly is. She hasn’t told the rest of her team yet. Amy isn’t sure how they’ll react. It seems that she feels her team may commit mutiny if they learn the truth.
All the focus on Amy, her secret, and the kidnapper mean that other characters get way less substantial roles than they had before. Paddy’s one of them; he had a sizable subplot in book one. Now that his life’s pretty much in order, he takes a backseat. Sally-Ann, the sister Amy believed dead, is also conspicuous due to her absence. She’s supposed to be Paddy’s girlfriend, but is only mentioned a few times. Lillian Grimes also plays a significant role. Amy wished she’d seen the last of her, but it didn’t happen. Lillian sets events in motion that’ll give her daughter a lot of grief. Amy really has her plate full in this second installment of her series. Will she be able to catch the kidnapper, save two innocent children, and hold on to her team’s trust? You’ll have to read The Secret Child to find out. It wasn’t fast-paced, but it was entertaining. I really liked it.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
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