Title: The Secret Child
(DI Amy Winter #2)
Author: Caroline Mitchell
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Detective
First published: April 18th 2019
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Finished reading: March 3rd 2019
Pages: 336
“We are all justified by our wants and needs. Who’s to say my reasons aren’t just as valid as yours?”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
As a thriller fan, every time I see Caroline Mitchell‘s name pop up my heart skips a beat. She has become one of my trusted thriller authors and her stories haven’t failed to entertain me yet… Last year I was able to meet a new detective with a fascinating past, DI Amy Winter, and it’s time for a second date in The Secret Child. I have a weird obsession with serial killer stories and the main character’s past is definitely one of the things that stands out most in this new detective thriller series. Things can be said about her difficult past and flawed personal life being quite cliche, but Lillian will get under your skin and will give Amy Winter an original twist. The writing is more than solid, draws you right in and will make you reach the final page before you know it. It’s something I’ve become used to with Caroline Mitchell‘s thrillers and one of the reasons I would pick up one of her titles without even reading the blurb first. The Secret Child has a fascinating premise though and I love that part of the plot is set in the past and in the Soviet Union at that. This international twist makes the plot all the more interesting and gives the story an original touch. Past and present are mixed in a way that adds maximum suspense and intrigue about what really happened to Luka and the other children all those years ago. There are quite a lot of different elements in the story, with the 1984-1985 flashbacks, the present kidnapping and Lillian Grimes… I did feel they were better balanced than in the first installment, and the story will definitely have some plot twist bombs and surprises for you in store. All in all I had a great time reading The Secret Child and I’m already looking forward to discover what will happen next.
WARNING: Possible spoilers! Please don’t read this summary if you haven’t read the first book of this series yet. I’ll keep the summary super short but it’s impossible to keep it completely spoiler-free…
There are no solid leads after four-year-old Ellen was kidnapped from her very own bed at night. Until her mother Nicole receives a package with four phials and a message that will chill her to the bone. Suddenly her darkest fears have come true, and the past has come back to haunt her… Nicole is given a deadly challenge: one of the four phials is poisoned, and she has to drink one in order for the kidnapper to reveal Ellen’s location to the police. The kidnapper claims to be someone that is long dead… Is he telling the truth, and what does the past have to do with what is happening in the present? DI Amy Winter and her team will have to give it all in order for the truth to come out.
If you, like me, enjoy fast-paced detective thrillers that aren’t afraid to go dark and twisty, you should definitely meet DI Amy Winter. Not only has she a serial killer connection, but she also isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty in order to get things done. The Secret Child reads like a train and the flashbacks don’t slow down the pace at all… In fact, they only add extra dept and an original touch to the story. I’m really enjoying my time with DI Amy Winter so far and I’ll definitely be looking forward to meeting her again in the future.
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