Please forgive me for what I’m about to do…
Standing at the school gates, he waits until the last child leaves the safety of the playground. And then he follows at a distance, keeping to the shadows. Only he knows what’s going to happen next.
In a quiet church, on a busy London street, 12-year-old Donovan Blair is found dead. His hands are clasped together as if in prayer. Just hours ago, he was happily playing with his friends at school, but now his body is lifeless, and his killer is long gone.
Detective Dan Lockhart is working alone on his wife’s missing person’s case when he receives a call telling him to get to the crime scene at St Mary’s Church immediately.
Bringing in psychologist Dr Lexi Green to help profile the murderer, Dan is convinced that the killer has provided a clue by leaving the body in a prayer position, and Lexi agrees. As they try to get into the mind of the person responsible, another victim is found. A 13-year-old girl, left in a different church, posed in exactly the same way.
Fearing the murderer may already have another child in his sights, Dan and Lexi work together to establish links between the two deaths, and soon discover that not only were both children in care – they had attended the same school. And when it emerges that Lexi’s new boyfriend works there, things become difficult between her and Dan. How much can he tell Lexi about the case? And could she be at risk?
As Dan makes a breakthrough in the investigation, he receives devastating news about his wife, Jess. But with children’s lives at stake and Lexi in danger, Dan must put his personal emotions aside and chase the killer. Can he and Lexi work out who is behind the murders before another vulnerable child is taken?
This nail-biting crime book is perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni. Once you pick up Lost Souls, you won’t be able to put it down!
After the dead body of a young boy is discovered,posed in front of the alter in a church, Detective Dan Lockhart and his team find themselves investigating a complex maze of dead ends,red herrings and multiple suspects in this, the third instalment in this addictive, police procedural series.
As the team race against time to uncover the identity of a very clever,twisty killer, Dan not only has to deal with being acting SIO but also with his every move being scrutinised by DSI Burrows. She has made is abundantly clear that she doesn't approve of Dan's rule breaking during previous cases and it is common knowledge around the station that she is just biding her time and waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself so she can get rid of him. As the twists and turns of the investigation lead Dan and the team into the world of the underprivileged,missing, misplaced and exploited, Dan is shocked when it emerges that one of their suspects is dating his close friend Dr Lexi Green.
Dan Lockhart is one of my favourite fictional detectives, I love him and his loyal, dedicated team who work really well together and each have their own unique personality and character traits. I love how every member of the team was given the opportunity to contribute in some way to the investigation. In this book, even analyst Lucy Berry gets her chance to shine when her investigation into a report into missing people uncovers some shocking secrets and causes her to behave completely out of character.
Whenever he has had the opportunity, Dan has been continuing his investigation into the disappearance of his beloved wife, Jess. He has always suspected that his brother in law Nick knows more about her disappearance than he is letting on. By the end of this book it appears that Dan's patience and perseverance is finally starting to pay off when he learns some shocking information.
Meanwhile, Dr Lexi Green is dealing with her own personal demons as well as her conflicting feelings for Dan. She has been dating Tim for the past eight months and the relationship appeared to be going well. But him being a possible suspect not only jeopardizes Lexi's involvement in the investigation but also her friendship with Dan. The reader can't help noticing during Lexi's interactions with Tim that he has some issues but is he a killer like Dan suspects and is Lexi's life in danger?
Interspersed throughout the book was chapters that were voiced from the perspective of the killer and gave the reader insights into their thoughts, backstory and the reasons why that person targeted their victims. I couldn't help feeling a tiny bit of sympathy for this person as their story unfolded. Although that person's actions were most definitely wrong and two wrongs don't make a right, in a twisted way,the motive behind their actions kind of made sense.
This is a gripping,addictive,twist packed thriller that had me hooked in from the first page and glued to my kindle. The story was intricately plotted,there was numerous suspects and had a breath taking, intense conclusion. The author has created a fantastic cast of recurring characters, individuals that the reader takes to their heart and enjoys investing their time with. Despite this being the third book in the series and the continuing storyline of Jess's disappearance, this book can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I love this series and can't wait to find out what the author had planned for Dan, Lexi and the team in book 4.
Author Bio
Chris Merritt is a British author whose crime thrillers combine psychology, suspense, and characters you care about.
All his novels are set in London, where he lives. He began writing fiction in 2014, after previous careers as a diplomat, based in Iraq and Jerusalem, and later as a psychologist working with victims and perpetrators of crime. He specialised in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which sparked his interest in telling stories about how people cope when faced with extreme adversity.
Now he spends most of his time writing novels and drinking coffee while *thinking* about writing novels. When he's not writing, he loves climbing and playing basketball.
Author Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCJMerritt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17558172.Chris_Merritt
Website: www.cjmerritt.co.uk
PUBLICATION DATE: 2 February 2021
PURCHASE LINK...
DETECTIVE DAN LOCKHART SERIES
1: Knock Knock
2: Who's Next
3: Lost Souls
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE POSTS OF THE OTHER BLOGGERS WHO HAVE STOPS ON THIS BLOG TOUR
No comments:
Post a Comment