BOOK REVIEW: LEFT FOR DEAD BY CAROLINE MITCHELL

Title: Left for Dead

Author: Caroline Mitchell

Genre: Thriller, mystery

Published on: July 8, 2020 by Thomas & Mercer

A victim on display. A detective on the rails.

Shopping with her sister, DI Amy Winter is admiring a Valentine's Day window display of a perfect bride encrusted in diamonds and resplendent in lace--until she notices blood oozing from the mannequin's mouth.

This is no stunt. A post-mortem reveals the victim was left to die on her macabre throne for all to see. When a second victim is found, it emerges that both women were 'Sugar Babes' arranging dates with older men online--and Amy finds herself hunting an accomplished psychopath.

As she tracks down the killer, Amy's instincts go into overdrive when the charismatic head of the agency behind the display makes no attempt to hide his fascination with her serial-killer parents. What exactly does he want from Amy? With her own world in freefall as her biological mother, Lillian Grimes, appeals her conviction, Amy pushes the boundaries of police procedure when a third 'Sugar Babe' disappears...Is she as much at risk as the killer's victims?

 

DI Amy Winter is back to handle another major case. It’s not specified, but it appears not a long time has passed since the previous book ended. This series takes place in modern-day England. Amy is part of the Notting Hill station, where she leads a team. There’s going to be a change in the status-quo, though. DCI Pike, Amy’s old boss, took an early retirement. Her replacement is DI Donovan, an officer Amy is already acquainted with. They worked together during the case where Amy’s mother, convicted serial killer Lillian Grimes, revealed the locations of her victims. Yeah, Amy is the daughter of serial killers. This is one of the most important plot points in these books. Amy struggles with her origins despite having been adopted by a loving family.

The case in Left for Dead begins in an unusual fashion. Amy is off duty, walking with her sister Sally-Ann, when she spots a chilling display in a store. It’s something most people (even cops) could easily miss: what is supposed to be a mannequin is in fact a real woman. Noticing she’s bleeding, Amy springs into action. It doesn’t take long before investigators descend upon the scene. Amy herself gets into the display in hopes of saving the woman. Despite her efforts, it is sadly too late.

Even with no forensic evidence, the crime scene has a clue that causes the police to give high priority to the investigation. Amy and Donovan both handle leading roles, given how new to his position the latter is. There’s one thing that irks Amy, though. In order to win public favor for Amy’s team, Donovan brought in a couple of reporters to film the officers as they go about their day-to-day duties.

This book doesn’t leave the identity of the main antagonist secret for long. His name is Samuel Black, and he’s the rich owner of a major advertising company. He’s also a prominent figure in society. In addition, Samuel also has a wife and daughter. The three are genuinely happy. So why would Samuel kill people? There are several chapters written from his point of view. In them, Samuel recounts why he is the way he is. This storyline was very compelling and made Sam really stand out as an antagonist. He reminded me a bit of the Lovebird Killer from T.R. Ragan’s A Dark Mind. Samuel is almost as chilling and just as fleshed-out.

Samuel turns out to be more than a police-related challenge for Amy. In later chapters, she must choose between her good side and her dark side. The latter comes from being the daughter of serial killers, or so Amy believes. For some time now, she’s wondered if her genetics are going to end up winning. To add to Amy’s troubles, there’s another subplot that has to do with her family…or what’s left of it. Not long ago, Lillian started arranging a trial in the hopes of being acquitted. Amy even provided crucial evidence that could help release Lillian. Of course, Amy doesn’t want her mother back in the world, but she’s a reputable cop and wasn’t going to withhold or destroy evidence.

I thought Left for Dead was the best Amy Winter novel so far. The crime and the mystery behind it were interesting and creative. And Samuel proved himself a tough and chilling villain. Amy really struggled to prove her suspicions about him and save more lives. The book also sees Amy face one of her biggest challenges: does her parentage really mean it is inevitable for her dark side (if she has one) to take over? I seriously enjoyed this novel. I look forward to continuing the rest of this series.

My rating: ★★★★

4 stars - Definitely enjoyed it!