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BOOK INFO
Title: The Dare
Author: Carol Wyer
Publisher: Bookouture
Publish Date: April 25, 2019
Genre: Crime & Detective
Series: Detective Natalie Ward #3
My Rating: 4/5
BOOK BLURB
Jane’s daughter is a good girl. But what is she hiding?
When thirteen-year-old Savannah Hopkins doesn’t come straight home from school as she always does, her mother Jane immediately raises the alarm. With her blonde ponytail and red school jumper, someone must have spotted Savannah.
Detective Natalie Ward is determined to help the distraught mother – her own daughter is the same age as Savannah. But before Natalie and her team can get started, their worst fears are confirmed when the teenager’s broken body is found in nearby shrubland.
Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as Natalie closes the net around him, one of Savannah’s friends, Harriet, is reported missing. Harriet might look grown up and sophisticated but she is only fourteen…
As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on both their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours. She’s sure this is the key to the case, but before she can act, Harriet’s body is found discarded on a roadside.
Natalie’s superiors don’t have to put any extra pressure on Natalie. Devastated, she and her team work without sleep, watching that video over and over. But just as she thinks they’re getting close, the person Natalie loves more than anything goes missing.
Natalie is no stranger to loss. She is terrified and the clock is ticking. Can she push through her fear to catch this depraved killer, before her loved one becomes the next victim?
MY REVIEW
The Dare is the third book in the Detective Natalie Ward series by Carol Wyer. In The Dare, Natalie and her team investigate a case involving missing girls. The police work to find the first missing girl, and soon learn they are too late to save her. Another girl goes missing, and the race is on to find who is behind the terrible crimes.
This is a crime mystery series, but it interweaves some of the investigators personal stories. In this book, Natalie’s marriage is strained and she feels disconnected from her two teen children. Since Natalie has a young teen daughter, she feels more of a personal connection to this case. The mystery is good, and the addition of more personal details makes Natalie a stronger character.
A great series for fans of police procedurals. The Dare is a good book in this series, though I did enjoy the first two books a little more than this one. This is a series I look forward to reading, and I can’t wait for the next book. A complex and gripping page-turner.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Books in the Detective Natalie Ward series:
- The Birthday
- Last Lullaby
- The Dare
- The Sleepover
- The Blossom Twins
- The Secret Admirer
- Somebody’s Daughter
Wonderful review Darinda. I have the first in this series and need to give it a try. Sounds good, I do like when we get to know about the detectives we read about.
Thanks, Carla! I’ve really enjoyed this series. Hope you get the chance to try it out!
I think some my be available on KU, so need to check.