Boys are Disappearing from South London

After the traumatic events in Cambridge University (Dead Scared), Lacey Flint remains on leave unsure whether she wants to return to police work. She befriends Barney, her unusual eleven-year-old neighbor. Barney is often home alone or running about with his mates late at night. Lacey worries because ten to twelve-year-old boys are disappearing from the neighborhood and showing up on beaches with their throats cut and their bodies drained of blood.

D. I. Tulloch heads the investigation with, as usual, support from D.I. Joesbury. The pressure to find the killer is intense. Tulloch isn't handling it well. She suspects that a woman may be the killer and even wonders about Lacey. D.I. Joesbury is also obsessing about Lacey and trying to resume their relationship.

On the positive side this is a real mystery. The police look for suspects, follow red-herrings, and leave clues for the reader to find. I love this kind of mystery because there are enough clues that you can try to figure out the culprit and in this case it isn't easy.

On the negative side, I thought Lacey and Dana Tulloch were too emotional. With Lacey it was understandable, but it seemed to be too drawn out. With Tulloch, you had to ask yourself, as did Superintendent Weaver, if she was capable of doing the job. The police, in this instance Tulloch, thinking Lacey may be guilty ofNow You See Me), but now it seems strained, particularly since Tulloch was her champion in the first book.

the murders is getting old. It worked in the first book in the series (

I recommend this book if you love a good mystery. The suspense grips you from the beginning and the psychology of the crime is well done.

I reviewed this book for Net Galley.