4.25 stars

I adored this book! It was the book I needed to read at the right time. Now, I didn't read the first book, so I was worried about being lost. I had no problem following the book and getting lost IN it! This is a book I never wanted to put down!
There isn't too much I can say about this book.... Reason being, I will give too much away! But I will try my best to tell you what I really liked about this book!
There was just enough going on in this book that is was not only easy to follow but hard to put down. The mystery behind everything kept me wanting more. I thought about this book throughout the day when I wasn't reading it. I kept running possible scenarios through my head, wondering where the story was going to take me.
The characters are wonderful. They are perfectly portrayed. I was able to feel and think just like each one of them. That can be rare in a book. I didn't identify with them necessarily, but I could identify them. I hope that makes sense.
This book is for the person who likes intrigue and mystery. It is a wonderful change from the adult contemporary or romance books many read. It is definitely something to pick up if you need a cure from a book hangover, although you may get a slight one from this too!!! ( )

4.25 stars

I adored this book! It was the book I needed to read at the right time. Now, I didn't read the first book, so I was worried about being lost. I had no problem following the book and getting lost IN it! This is a book I never wanted to put down!
There isn't too much I can say about this book.... Reason being, I will give too much away! But I will try my best to tell you what I really liked about this book!
There was just enough going on in this book that is was not only easy to follow but hard to put down. The mystery behind everything kept me wanting more. I thought about this book throughout the day when I wasn't reading it. I kept running possible scenarios through my head, wondering where the story was going to take me.
The characters are wonderful. They are perfectly portrayed. I was able to feel and think just like each one of them. That can be rare in a book. I didn't identify with them necessarily, but I could identify them. I hope that makes sense.
This book is for the person who likes intrigue and mystery. It is a wonderful change from the adult contemporary or romance books many read. It is definitely something to pick up if you need a cure from a book hangover, although you may get a slight one from this too!!! ( )

This e-book is a slightly confusing mystery but I was impressed by Bruce's ability to present a character in a couple paragraphs so well that you feel like you know that person's type. The exceptions are the main characters, DC Gary Goodhew and Kimberly Guyver, mother of a missing toddler.

The story begins with Kimberly in her kitchen finding a matchbook with the name and logo of Rita Club on it. She burns the matchbook, then turns to take care of her son Riley. On TV a news flash shows a winch lifting a car from the Mediterranean Sea. She recognizes it, and immediately meets her friend Rachel to discuss the finding of Nick Lewton's car with Nick's remains inside. They decide they must leave town for a while but separately because they're in danger and so is Riley. Rachel takes him so that Kim can have a little time to prepare to go.

Kim always spends a lot of time looking at Mill Road Cemetery which is right next to her apartment in Cambridge. Rachel lives within view with her husband Stefan Golinski, a jealous and violent man. She is planning to leave him. That afternoon their house burns. Rachel's body is found inside but not Riley or Stefan. The search begins.

Goodhew is a fascinating character. He is single but very close to his grandmother. Lives across from police station. He's relatively new to force, but his boss has been watching him carefully and trusts him. Goodhew has exactly what his boss looks for in a detective. I loved following him and trying to figure out what he was thinking. His insights are amazing and yet not unbelievingly so. I like this guy.

Twists and turns lead the reader this way and that, but nothing really makes sense until near the end when all becomes clear. Meanwhile, you worry - where is Riley? Is he safe? Will they find him in time?

Highly recommended
Source: Witness/Impulse Imprint, HarperCollins ( )

http://tamaranth.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/201259-siren-alison-bruce.html ( )

Another sound Cambridge-based crime story featuring DC Gary Goodhew, who seems to be even more at odds with most of his colleagues than was the case in Bruce's previous novel, "Cambridge Blue".
It starts with Kimberly Guyver hearing an item on the news about the recovery of a body in a car that had crashed off a coastal road in Spain. As soon as the identity of the corpse is given she is terrified and urgently contacts her best friend, Rachel, asking her to look after her young son Riley while she starts to make arrangements to move as quickly, and as far away, as possible.
However, her friend's house is burned down within a few hours, and Riley disappears. By chance, DC Goodhew is in the proximity of the burning house and arrives on the scene where he meets Kimberly, distraught about the fate of Riley.
As the novel develops we find out about various episodes in Kimberly's and Rachel's pasts, and the net of suspects spreads wider.
The book is not without flaws - having spent so much of its predecessor building up the potential rift between DCs Goodhew and Kincaide, the latter seems inexplicably absent throughout most of this book. It is also very poorly edited, with frequent misspellings (particularly of definitely which appears as "definately" at least five times.
Still, I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the next in the sequence. ( )