Title: THE LOST BOY
Detective Mark Turpin – Book 3
Author: Rachel Amphlett
ISBN: 978-1-913498-60-3
Publisher: Saxon Publishing
Pages: 222
Source: Review copy from the Publisher
Tour Organised by Random Things Tours
Run.
Don’t look back.
When a young teenager is stabbed to death at a busy fairground, Detective Mark Turpin is assigned the task of finding the boy’s killer.
But this was no random murder.
Mark knows the victim – and the man who ordered his death.
As he sifts through the young victim’s final days, he uncovers a powerful crime syndicate that will do anything to protect its interests.
Then tragedy strikes, and suddenly Mark isn’t just trying to solve a murder – he’s fighting for his own survival.
Official Summary
If like me you haven’t been following the series, not to worry – this was my first encounter with Detective Mark Turpin and I enjoyed reading the book. This book can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. You do miss a little of the backstory but the missing bits are not big enough to affect your enjoyment of this book
The author digs straight into her story allowing the reader to quickly get hooked. The Lost Boy starts quickly and you are not left waiting for something to happen. I enjoy that about the book.
When a young boy is murdered at a busy fair in the centre of town, while Mark Turpin is attending with his family. He is left feeling guilty for not getting to the scene fast enough, blaming himself for the boys’ death. However, when he recognises the boy from a previous case he was involved in, it becomes clear that there is more to this child’s murder than he expected.
This is personal, can Mark find the killer before the killer finds him and his family?
The Lost Boy is a police procedural that leaves you trapped in an investigation that involves the murder of a child. You are drawn into the emotions this case has on the police officers investigating the crime and experience their feelings. This leaves you wanting justice as much as they do and you are forced to keep reading.
Mark Turpin makes an interesting character. While he is emotionally invested in the case he remains calm and collected to ensure that his children are not affected. A strong, determined man who is scared of his ex-wife. You have to love the man.
I found this book to be a relaxing read, it didn’t seem to have the rush of most crime novels which made it an enjoyable, almost peaceful read.
Crime fans who enjoy a gripping yet relaxed read will love The Lost Boy, I recommend this book to readers who enjoy crime fiction that drops you straight into an investigation.
Books In The Series:
None The Wiser - Book 1
What if some secrets were never meant to stay buried?
When a parish priest is brutally murdered in cold blood, a rural community is left in shock – and fear.
New to the Vale of the White Horse, Detective Sergeant Mark Turpin discovers the murder bears the hallmark of a vicious killer who shows no remorse for his victim and leaves no trace behind.
After a second priest is killed, his broken body bearing similar ritualistic abuse, the police are confronted by a horrifying truth – there is a serial killer at large with a disturbing vendetta.
As fear grips the once tranquil countryside, Mark and his team race to uncover a tangle of dark secrets and lies before the killer strikes again.
In doing so, Mark finds out that the truth is more twisted than he could ever have imagined…
Her Final Hour - Book 2
What if the perfect friend was hiding a deadly secret?
When a championship jockey discovers the body of a young woman during a cold morning’s training ride, the local racing community is shocked to its core.
Everyone says she was the perfect friend, the perfect daughter and the perfect fiancée.
However as Detective Mark Turpin delves into the girl’s fateful last hours, he discovers a past full of lies and mystery.
Investigating the truth behind her savage death, Mark uncovers jealousy and ambition within the tiny community, accompanied by a disturbing reluctance to help the police.
When another death takes place only days later, Mark realises he is running out of time to stop a killer who will do anything to keep a dark secret hidden…
Her Final Hour is the second book in a new murder mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Rachel Amphlett.
About The Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Before turning to writing, USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as an editorial assistant.
She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, because that’s what she grew up reading. When she was 11 years old, her grandad gave her his copy of The Eagle Has Landed, and she’s been an avid fan of the genre ever since.
Her debut thriller, White Gold was released in July 2011 and features British secret agent Dan Taylor. The series established Rachel as an author to watch and spurned three more novels before Rachel turned her attention to a new character, Detective Kay Hunter.
The Kay Hunter crime thrillers are based in Kent and feature a tight-knit team of detectives, which begins with Scared of Death. Praised by experts for their attention to detail, the books are also much loved by readers for their page-turning plots and devious twists, receiving favourable comparisons to TV shows NCIS and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
More recently, Rachel created a new crime thriller series based around the central character Mark Turpin, an Oxfordshire-based detective. The first book, None The Wiser, received critical acclaim from Adrian McKinty (The Chain) and Jo Spain (With Our Blessing, The Confession), with the follow-up book, Her Final Hour being praised by the creator of the DCI Banks series, Peter Robinson.
In addition to her detective stories, Rachel also writes the English Assassins series featuring female assassin Eva Delacourt, and a number of standalone novels including crime thrillers, psychological thrillers and fast-paced conspiracy thrillers.
Her novels are available in eBook, print, and audiobook formats from libraries and retailers as well as her own shop on this website.
A keen traveller, Rachel has both Australian and British citizenship.
Thank you to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for including me in this tour. I enjoyed this light, quick read and look forward to spending more time with Detective Mark Turpin soon. Have you read any of the books in the series? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for reading my review, until next time… Happy Reading!
Sounds like a good read!
I am keen to read the other books in the series
Huge thanks for the blog tour support x
Pleasure