Title: NOTHING LEFT BEHIND
Author: HANNAH BRENNAN
ISBN: 9780008778101
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 464
Source: REVIEW COPY FROM THE PUBLISHER
‘Emergency. Which service do you require?’
‘He’s trying to burn down my house. He’s going to kill me.’
They thought it was another false alarm. They were wrong.
As the acrid smoke clears, Detective Liz Field can only watch as the charred remains of Anne Evans’s home slowly collapse – with her body still trapped inside.
A heroic Response officer almost died trying to save Anne from the fire, but he was too late.
When they pick through the rubble, it seems the blaze that tore through her house left nothing behind.
Detective Field is handed the case, but resources are already stretched thin following a high-profile shooting just days earlier. Despite years of frantic 999 calls and false alarms, it appears no one knows much about Anne. The person in the system only appeared nine years ago. But why?
The more Field discovers, the more disturbing the picture becomes.
Anne had been written off as a nuisance – a paranoid recluse. But is it really paranoia, if all that you feared comes true?
Official Summary
23 April 2026
Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in this blog tour.
Nothing Left Behind is an intriguing crime thriller that weaves together two complex cases: a woman shot outside her home, and another who dies in a devastating house fire. From the outset, the novel throws you straight into the action, with multiple timelines and perspectives at play.
I’ll admit that I initially found the shifting timelines and movement between the two investigations a little challenging to follow. However, once I reached the halfway mark, everything began to fall into place, and the story became much more immersive. This is definitely a book that rewards patience, as the various threads gradually come together in a satisfying way.
Anne Evans’ storyline was a standout for me. I really enjoyed how her character evolves from being dismissed as a “nuisance caller” to someone with a deeply unsettling and complex past. As more is revealed, the narrative takes on a darker, more compelling tone, raising questions about perception, truth, and what happens when warnings are ignored.
While I would have liked to see a bit more character development for Detective Liz Field, the investigative elements of the story remain engaging, particularly as the connections between the two cases begin to emerge. What initially feels like separate threads ultimately ties together in a way that makes sense of the earlier confusion.
At times, the transitions between timelines and cases could have been smoother, but the strength of the overall plot and its conclusion makes up for this. By the final chapters, the pieces come together neatly, delivering a resolution that is both cohesive and thought-provoking.
Nothing Left Behind is a solid and ambitious novel with an intricate plot that will appeal to readers who enjoy layered crime fiction. If you’re willing to give it a little time to unfold, you’ll find a story that builds into a compelling and rewarding read.
Also by Hannah Brennan
NO SAFE PLACE
There’s no one more deadly than the killer you know. A man is found brutally stabbed and left for dead. A young woman is killed in a frenzied attack in the middle of the night on a quiet residential road. Detective Liz Field is brought in to lead the investigation. The first victim was a well-respected child psychologist. The second victim was once his patient. But that was fifteen years ago. Why is someone targeting them now? Field is under pressure not just from the top. There are those who would happily see her fail if it means they can take her place. Something about this case feels too close to home. And the killer is escalating. Field is in a race against time to solve the case and confront her own buried past – before they strike again.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Hannah Brennan was born in and still lives in South East London, and studied English Literature at Durham University. She is one of the organisers at the Greenwich Writers’ writing group. Hannah is also a trustee at the Royal Association for Deaf People. Hannah has had OCD since her teenage years, although she is now happily in recovery. She has previously volunteered for and regularly attends groups at the charity OCD Action. No Safe Place is her debut novel.
Thank you to Random Things Tours for another great blog tour read. And thank you for visiting and reading my review. Untl next time…. Happy Reading!
