Genre: Crime, Thriller
Series: DI Amy Winter Series
Author: Caroline Mitchell
“It’s hard to accept the truth when lies are what you want to hear.”
Right after her father’s death, DI Amy Winter receives a letter from prison. The letter was sent by Lillian Grimes. Lillian and her husband were responsible for a series of killings decades ago. The letter reveals Lillian is her birth mother. And she can disclose the location of the last three bodies if Amy follows her instructions. The confrontation with Lillian slowly brings out her childhood memories about her parents’ abuse and how her loving sister gave away her life to save Amy.
At the same time, a young girl named Hermione gets abducted. Amy leads the team for Hermione’s search.
Torn by the revelation, Amy must confront her past and save Hermione, before the time runs out.
Caroline Mitchelle weaves the story around exploring the life of Amy, a brilliant DI and the daughter of a serial killer parents, who has grown unbeknownst of the fact. The central idea itself is fascinating, and Caroline astutely builds an exciting thriller around it.
The story has a lot of going on its way. Firstly the characters. Amy and Lillian, although blood-related, cannot be more opposite to each other. On the one hand, Lillian is pure evil and full of hatred, while Amy is kind, honest and is shaken by the idea of being related to someone like Lillian. The contrast between these two characters brings out some of the most intense scenes.
The story is widespread in terms of the social evils it tries to cover. Physical and mental rape, domestic abuse (both male and female inflicted), and heinous murders are a few to name.
What also works is the short and quick chapters. It gives you a feeling of quick cuts in a movie, switching between flashbacks and present. It helps the story to move forward quickly without losing the central plot. Caroline never loses her audience; the gut-punching reveals, keeps the readers on the toes.
Talking of the central plot, though the suspense involving Lillian and Amy is bone-chilling and captivating, the abduction of Hermione and motivation behind it doesn’t feel very satisfying. It seems full of loopholes and convenient just for the sake of the story.
The book delivers an engaging and thrilling story, and at the same time, leaves enough for the readers to look for the sequel.
The tone, setting, and characters will remind you of some of Gillian Flynn’s work, specifically Sharp Objects. And if you are a fan of Gillian Flynn, this would be a good read for you.
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