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DC Charlotte Stafford #1
Mummy's Favourite
He's watching... He's waiting... Who's next?
Buried in a woodland grave are a mother and her child. One is alive. One is dead.
DC ‘Charlie’ Stafford is assigned by her boss, DI Geoffrey Hunter to assist with the missing persons investigation.
As more pairs go missing, the pressure mounts. Leads are going cold. Suspects are identified but have they got the right person?
Can Charlie stop the sadistic killer whose only wish is to punish those he deems to have committed a wrong. Or will she herself unwittingly become a victim.
A gripping, heart-stopping crime thriller, introducing new series character DC Charlotte 'Charlie' Stafford of London Metropolitan Police.
Buried in a woodland grave are a mother and her child. One is alive. One is dead.
DC ‘Charlie’ Stafford is assigned by her boss, DI Geoffrey Hunter to assist with the missing persons investigation.
As more pairs go missing, the pressure mounts. Leads are going cold. Suspects are identified but have they got the right person?
Can Charlie stop the sadistic killer whose only wish is to punish those he deems to have committed a wrong. Or will she herself unwittingly become a victim.
A gripping, heart-stopping crime thriller, introducing new series character DC Charlotte 'Charlie' Stafford of London Metropolitan Police.
278 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2016
750 people are currently reading
1020 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Flint
13 books93 followersWith a Metropolitan Police career spanning 35 years Sarah has spent her adulthood surrounded by victims, criminals and police officers. She continues to work and lives in London with her partner and has three older daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
December 11, 2017
MUMMY’S FAVOURITE, A D.C. Charlotte Strafford Novel, is the debut crime thriller novel, a twisted serial killer by Sarah Flint, featuring D C Charlotte (Charlie) Stafford , who works at the Community Support Unit, a branch of the CID or Criminal Investigations Department at Lambeth HQ.
Charlie, the protagonist in this novel, is a hard working cop that is dedicated to her job that joined the police force for personal reasons from her past. DC Charlie Stafford has a close working relationship with her boss, DI Geoffrey Hunter. Charlie and the team are investigating the case of a woman who has gone missing with one of her sons. They originally felt that they were dealing with a domestic abuse situation…but then everything changes when another mother and child disappear.
“He's watching... He's waiting... Who's next?
Buried in a woodland grave are a mother and her child. One is alive. One is dead.
DC ‘Charlie’ Stafford is assigned by her boss, DI Geoffrey Hunter to assist with the missing persons investigation.
As more pairs go missing, the pressure mounts. Leads are going cold. Suspects are identified but have they got the right person?
Can Charlie stop the sadistic killer whose only wish is to punish those he deems to have committed a wrong. Or will she herself unwittingly become a victim.”
The story is told from multiple third-person perspectives including the culprits and some of the victims. This is a dark and twisted thriller which was both gripping and deeply disturbing.
Why would a mother take one son and leave another behind? Then another woman and her child disappear and things are not what they seem.
Sarah Flint's extensive experience of police work is evident, and compliments and sets the scene for this series. The plot was well-paced and the characters felt very sincere. Since this is the first book in the series I am looking forward to having the characters more fleshed out, in particular, Charlie. I was not able to guess the culprit but I had trouble warming up to the protagonist. But as a debut novel. I was very impressed with the writing.
Many thanks to Aria Publisher via NetGalley for my copy.
Charlie, the protagonist in this novel, is a hard working cop that is dedicated to her job that joined the police force for personal reasons from her past. DC Charlie Stafford has a close working relationship with her boss, DI Geoffrey Hunter. Charlie and the team are investigating the case of a woman who has gone missing with one of her sons. They originally felt that they were dealing with a domestic abuse situation…but then everything changes when another mother and child disappear.
“He's watching... He's waiting... Who's next?
Buried in a woodland grave are a mother and her child. One is alive. One is dead.
DC ‘Charlie’ Stafford is assigned by her boss, DI Geoffrey Hunter to assist with the missing persons investigation.
As more pairs go missing, the pressure mounts. Leads are going cold. Suspects are identified but have they got the right person?
Can Charlie stop the sadistic killer whose only wish is to punish those he deems to have committed a wrong. Or will she herself unwittingly become a victim.”
The story is told from multiple third-person perspectives including the culprits and some of the victims. This is a dark and twisted thriller which was both gripping and deeply disturbing.
Why would a mother take one son and leave another behind? Then another woman and her child disappear and things are not what they seem.
Sarah Flint's extensive experience of police work is evident, and compliments and sets the scene for this series. The plot was well-paced and the characters felt very sincere. Since this is the first book in the series I am looking forward to having the characters more fleshed out, in particular, Charlie. I was not able to guess the culprit but I had trouble warming up to the protagonist. But as a debut novel. I was very impressed with the writing.
Many thanks to Aria Publisher via NetGalley for my copy.
February 7, 2019
4☆ A Chilling New Crime Fiction/ Mystery
MUMMY’S FAVOURITE is a new police procedural series featuring D.C Charlie Stafford.
It's a pacy, edge of your seat, chilling crime fiction.
There's a serial killer on the lose that is targeting single mothers and their child.
But this killer is brash and snatches his victims in broad daylight.
I know right just the thought of that alone made me go cold.
But burying them together and leaving one alive is simply horrific.
D.C Charlie Stafford is tasked with catching this twisted and sadistic serial killer before it's too late.
Stafford is a strong, ballsy, likeable Detective,and she's determined to catch the killer before more Mother and Child pairs go missing.
The police procedural was cleverly written and believable, the characters were strong and well developed.
There are some sensitive subjects such as abuse, burying alive, and mental health issues which some readers may find difficult to read.
Mummy's Favourite is a pacy, chilling, dark and at times disturbing read, that will leave you cold and get under your skin!
It's a great start to a new series and I'm looking forward to discovering more about D.C Charlie Stafford and her team.
Thank you to Aria Fiction for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...
MUMMY’S FAVOURITE is a new police procedural series featuring D.C Charlie Stafford.
It's a pacy, edge of your seat, chilling crime fiction.
There's a serial killer on the lose that is targeting single mothers and their child.
But this killer is brash and snatches his victims in broad daylight.
I know right just the thought of that alone made me go cold.
But burying them together and leaving one alive is simply horrific.
D.C Charlie Stafford is tasked with catching this twisted and sadistic serial killer before it's too late.
Stafford is a strong, ballsy, likeable Detective,and she's determined to catch the killer before more Mother and Child pairs go missing.
The police procedural was cleverly written and believable, the characters were strong and well developed.
There are some sensitive subjects such as abuse, burying alive, and mental health issues which some readers may find difficult to read.
Mummy's Favourite is a pacy, chilling, dark and at times disturbing read, that will leave you cold and get under your skin!
It's a great start to a new series and I'm looking forward to discovering more about D.C Charlie Stafford and her team.
Thank you to Aria Fiction for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...
May 27, 2018
ARE YOU MUMMY'S Favourite!!!!!
Charlie Stafford is a dedicated cop who does her job well, but is haunted by the demons of her past her partner DCI Paul Hunter has her back & is her best friend & confidant. She is brought into a case of pure evil looking into missing mothers & their favourite child.
Julie Hubbard forty two & her son Richard she was once married to Keith who was a violent man her other son Ryan 15 was living with Keith, both Julie & Keith were healthy there were reports of domestic violence Keith also had a criminal record assault, weapon possession & affray.
Stafford & Hunter look into the disappearance thinking its a case of spousal abuse naturally Keith is a major suspect, but when more mothers & children disappear the stakes run higher than ever before as they think it could be a serial killer.
We find out later in the book the killer gets satisfaction from the devious terror he puts Julie & Richard through one lives, one dies it is quite creepy reading dialogue from the psychopath serial killer he is a meticulous predator who picks his victims very carefully.
Strafford is dealing with her past that makes her wonder if the job is too much, I found Charlie Stafford well written & complimented each other throughout the only negative I have is that at times it was a bit slow in parts but it didn't deter me from this book. 4 stars
Charlie Stafford is a dedicated cop who does her job well, but is haunted by the demons of her past her partner DCI Paul Hunter has her back & is her best friend & confidant. She is brought into a case of pure evil looking into missing mothers & their favourite child.
Julie Hubbard forty two & her son Richard she was once married to Keith who was a violent man her other son Ryan 15 was living with Keith, both Julie & Keith were healthy there were reports of domestic violence Keith also had a criminal record assault, weapon possession & affray.
Stafford & Hunter look into the disappearance thinking its a case of spousal abuse naturally Keith is a major suspect, but when more mothers & children disappear the stakes run higher than ever before as they think it could be a serial killer.
We find out later in the book the killer gets satisfaction from the devious terror he puts Julie & Richard through one lives, one dies it is quite creepy reading dialogue from the psychopath serial killer he is a meticulous predator who picks his victims very carefully.
Strafford is dealing with her past that makes her wonder if the job is too much, I found Charlie Stafford well written & complimented each other throughout the only negative I have is that at times it was a bit slow in parts but it didn't deter me from this book. 4 stars
July 27, 2016
She wakes up not knowing where she is or how she got there. Her hands and feet are bound. There is a small tube in front of her face … water, she smells water. She also smells something else and OMG, are there creepy, crawly things slithering across her face? She starts to remember. Her son .. where is her son? She turns her head as far as she can and there he is. Grinning through the slit in his throat. She screams and screams and screams … but no one hears her.
And once she dies, he’s able to go hunting .. again.
DC Charlie Stafford is investigating in the disappearances of women and children in broad daylight. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to why …. The women have left husbands and other children behind. Chances of them just running off doesn’t make much sense.
Leaving behind no clues, no witnesses, DC Stafford is racing against the clock to figure out who has them, why were they taken and are they still alive. And it’s most imperative to solve the questions before more mothers and their children are taken.
This is a galloping, compelling crime thriller. There is lots of hand-wringing suspense. Charlie and her boss, DI Hunter, take center stage as leading characters. Charlie looks upon Hunter as a father figure. And Hunter has no doubt about letting Charlie trust her gut instincts. There’s not a lot of background information on Hunter, but the reader learns quite a bit about Charlie.
This was a new author to me, but one I will definitely follow in the future. I’m anxious to see what further adventures are in Charlie’s future.
Many thanks to the author / Aria / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
And once she dies, he’s able to go hunting .. again.
DC Charlie Stafford is investigating in the disappearances of women and children in broad daylight. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to why …. The women have left husbands and other children behind. Chances of them just running off doesn’t make much sense.
Leaving behind no clues, no witnesses, DC Stafford is racing against the clock to figure out who has them, why were they taken and are they still alive. And it’s most imperative to solve the questions before more mothers and their children are taken.
This is a galloping, compelling crime thriller. There is lots of hand-wringing suspense. Charlie and her boss, DI Hunter, take center stage as leading characters. Charlie looks upon Hunter as a father figure. And Hunter has no doubt about letting Charlie trust her gut instincts. There’s not a lot of background information on Hunter, but the reader learns quite a bit about Charlie.
This was a new author to me, but one I will definitely follow in the future. I’m anxious to see what further adventures are in Charlie’s future.
Many thanks to the author / Aria / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
January 18, 2019
A woman and her son are missing and the husband is the obvious suspect. There has been reports of domestic violence and to top it all, the husband has taken his time to report them missing and has bleached the house from top to bottom before the police’s arrival to investigate.
But all is not as it seems. There is another mother and child missing.
Where are the missing people? Are they abducted by the same culprit? Are they alive? What is the motive behind the abductions?
This book was too disturbing and graphic for me, and let me tell you I have read and loved all Chris Carter’s books, which are way too graphic. But in this case, I felt the accounts of the abuse and murder to be arbitrary. Like the author just wanted to make the readers cringe, for the sake of just shocking them. In a word, it was nauseating!
Another issue was that the investigating team being a small group, still the author had managed to include a lesbian, a gay, an Indian, one black (I’m not quite sure about that one, cause my brain stopped functioning) and a divorced dude.
There were too many details and descriptions for unnecessary scenes. There were other cases which had nothing to do with the main mystery, and were all miraculously solved in the end. I guessed the identity of the culprit way too early in the book. Charlie, the main detective, is unlikeable. At one point, a defense lawyer is abducted and ‘Charlie can’t contain her smile, because she thinks the lawyer deserves it and it serves her right.’
Overall the writing wasn’t smooth.
Thanks to the author, Aria and the NetGalley for the book
But all is not as it seems. There is another mother and child missing.
Where are the missing people? Are they abducted by the same culprit? Are they alive? What is the motive behind the abductions?
This book was too disturbing and graphic for me, and let me tell you I have read and loved all Chris Carter’s books, which are way too graphic. But in this case, I felt the accounts of the abuse and murder to be arbitrary. Like the author just wanted to make the readers cringe, for the sake of just shocking them. In a word, it was nauseating!
Another issue was that the investigating team being a small group, still the author had managed to include a lesbian, a gay, an Indian, one black (I’m not quite sure about that one, cause my brain stopped functioning) and a divorced dude.
There were too many details and descriptions for unnecessary scenes. There were other cases which had nothing to do with the main mystery, and were all miraculously solved in the end. I guessed the identity of the culprit way too early in the book. Charlie, the main detective, is unlikeable. At one point, a defense lawyer is abducted and ‘Charlie can’t contain her smile, because she thinks the lawyer deserves it and it serves her right.’
Overall the writing wasn’t smooth.
Thanks to the author, Aria and the NetGalley for the book
Read
August 9, 2016This is a very creepy and gruesome story but totally engaging. It is a police procedural where we first meet Detective Charlie Stafford who along with her boss DC Hunter are investigating a terrible case. Charlie and her boss have a close relationship, kind of like father daughter and they work very well together struggling to solve this crime. The case begins when a women supposedly leaves her husband, taking one son with her and leaving the other behind but what kind of mother would do that? Soon this woman wakes underground to find her hands and feet bound and her son dead next to her with his throat cut, OMG. Charlie is then faced with more cases of mothers and their children disappearing in the same circumstances and the race is on to find the killer. Lots of suspence, terror and tension, a very strong debut novel. Thank you to Netgalley the author and publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Full blog tour post: https://readingbetweenwinessite.wordp...
The publisher says that Mummy's Favourite by Sarah Flint is perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, and I would have to agree with them.
What it's about: Introducing DC Charlotte (Charlie) Stafford of the London Metropolitan Police. Charlie is assigned to help with a missing person's case where there is a mother and son missing, and a husband and son left behind. The husband is violent and everyone's first thought is that it is him. But when other mother/child couplings start to go missing Charlie is scrambling to figure out how they are all connected and if it is in fact the husband of the first missing persons behind it all. At the same time, Charlie is dealing with her own personal issues plus trying to help a local war hero.
Mummy's Favourite is chalk full of crime material and action. I wouldn't say it is quite as graphic as a Karin Slaughter novel, especially when it comes to gore, but it was most definitely full of disturbing material. There is a lot going on in the book, and a lot of different POVs which I really liked. We got POVs from Charlie, the killer, a stalker, and more which makes for a very interesting read.
Even though there is lots of action and there was plenty to keep me interested, I found that I read this book fairly slow. There are 344 pages to the paperback and it took me over 5 hours to read it. That is probably fast by most people's standards, but I just felt slow when I was reading it. But this is not a negative, I just wanted to mention it!
I loved the bits about Charlie's background and personal life, and I'm really glad I started with book 1 of this series instead of starting later as I sometimes end up doing. If you are going to read these, I recommend starting with book 1 and going in order just because I think you learn a lot about Charlie in here. I haven't read the other books to this series, but now I can't wait to!
Final Thought: For the most part, Mummy's Favourite read like an episode of Criminal Minds which I really liked. I like when books switch between the criminals and the police even though the criminal sections were pretty disturbing. Definitely a lot of police procedural to this book so if you are a fan of good police procedurals and crime writing this is one I would highly recommend checking out. The fact that the author worked for the Metropolitan Police really shines through in this novel, and it was quite fascinating to read.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Full blog tour post: https://readingbetweenwinessite.wordp...
The publisher says that Mummy's Favourite by Sarah Flint is perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, and I would have to agree with them.
What it's about: Introducing DC Charlotte (Charlie) Stafford of the London Metropolitan Police. Charlie is assigned to help with a missing person's case where there is a mother and son missing, and a husband and son left behind. The husband is violent and everyone's first thought is that it is him. But when other mother/child couplings start to go missing Charlie is scrambling to figure out how they are all connected and if it is in fact the husband of the first missing persons behind it all. At the same time, Charlie is dealing with her own personal issues plus trying to help a local war hero.
Mummy's Favourite is chalk full of crime material and action. I wouldn't say it is quite as graphic as a Karin Slaughter novel, especially when it comes to gore, but it was most definitely full of disturbing material. There is a lot going on in the book, and a lot of different POVs which I really liked. We got POVs from Charlie, the killer, a stalker, and more which makes for a very interesting read.
Even though there is lots of action and there was plenty to keep me interested, I found that I read this book fairly slow. There are 344 pages to the paperback and it took me over 5 hours to read it. That is probably fast by most people's standards, but I just felt slow when I was reading it. But this is not a negative, I just wanted to mention it!
I loved the bits about Charlie's background and personal life, and I'm really glad I started with book 1 of this series instead of starting later as I sometimes end up doing. If you are going to read these, I recommend starting with book 1 and going in order just because I think you learn a lot about Charlie in here. I haven't read the other books to this series, but now I can't wait to!
Final Thought: For the most part, Mummy's Favourite read like an episode of Criminal Minds which I really liked. I like when books switch between the criminals and the police even though the criminal sections were pretty disturbing. Definitely a lot of police procedural to this book so if you are a fan of good police procedurals and crime writing this is one I would highly recommend checking out. The fact that the author worked for the Metropolitan Police really shines through in this novel, and it was quite fascinating to read.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 27, 2016
This is the first in a new British police procedural series introducing DC Charlie Stafford who works in the Community Support Unit of the Metropolitan Police in London. In contrast to a lot of other police procedurals Charlie gets on really well with her superior, DI Geoffrey Hunter, who is a bit of a father figure, and with the rest of the diverse team. She seems a fairly balanced person although there is, of course, something in her past that set her on the way to joining the police force.
Charlie and the team are investigating the case of a woman who has gone missing together with one of her sons. Initially convinced they are dealing with a domestic abuse situation, the case becomes far more complex when another mother and her child disappear.
The story is told from multiple third-person perspectives including the perpetrator's and some of the victims'. Because of the type of crime and the involvement of children, some of this was very dark and disturbing.
Sarah Flint's experience of police work is evident. The settings, the police work, the characters, it all felt very credible. The plot is well paced with a good mixture of action and character background. Being the first in a series, there is an emphasis on introducing Charlie, her family, her personality, her history. To be honest, I haven't quite made my mind up how I feel about her. I enjoyed 90% of the story very much. The last 10% were too over the top and wrap-it-all-up-neatly-with-a-pretty-tie for me. I liked the dark, gritty and authentic side of the story and the super sweet 'Charlie the superwoman' ending was something I could have done without. Nevertheless, I'll be very interested to see how Charlie develops in the follow-up. Overall, this is a very strong debut thriller.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Charlie and the team are investigating the case of a woman who has gone missing together with one of her sons. Initially convinced they are dealing with a domestic abuse situation, the case becomes far more complex when another mother and her child disappear.
The story is told from multiple third-person perspectives including the perpetrator's and some of the victims'. Because of the type of crime and the involvement of children, some of this was very dark and disturbing.
Sarah Flint's experience of police work is evident. The settings, the police work, the characters, it all felt very credible. The plot is well paced with a good mixture of action and character background. Being the first in a series, there is an emphasis on introducing Charlie, her family, her personality, her history. To be honest, I haven't quite made my mind up how I feel about her. I enjoyed 90% of the story very much. The last 10% were too over the top and wrap-it-all-up-neatly-with-a-pretty-tie for me. I liked the dark, gritty and authentic side of the story and the super sweet 'Charlie the superwoman' ending was something I could have done without. Nevertheless, I'll be very interested to see how Charlie develops in the follow-up. Overall, this is a very strong debut thriller.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2021
Wanted to love this book but found it slow in parts, couldn't connect with the character charlie.but liked the killer part of the story got book two and three to read hope it's gets better.
July 22, 2016
This is the first novel featuring D C Charlotte (Charlie) Stafford , who works at the Community Support Units at Lambeth HQ. Charlie has, like so many main characters in crime novels, a few secrets in her past and a deep dedication to her job. The author has provided her with a good cast of family, colleagues and a possible love interest, to help flesh out her character. However, it is also fair to say that this reads very much as an introduction to Charlie and her world – so there is the big reveal about her tragic past, lots of references to her needed to smarten herself up, plus a rather odd propensity to attract crime; in fact, she can hardly leave the station before she witnesses an assault involving someone she knows, which seems to stretch credulity a little too far.
Despite the fact that this book has the feeling of the start of a series which needs to settle down, there is a lot of good things about this crime novel. It opens with a woman and her son who have gone missing. The father is a violent, volatile man and Charlie and her boss, D I Geoffrey Hunter, feel certain he is involved in their disappearance. Why would a mother take one son and leave another behind? Then another woman and her child vanish and it appears that things are more complicated than what appeared to be linked to a domestic incident.
This is a violent, gritty and, often very dark, novel. I did guess the culprit and usually I have no idea, so I do wonder whether this will easily be spotted by other readers. However, this did not affect my enjoyment of the book. There was a lot of tension, a good number of possible suspects and I really did enjoy the parts of the novel where we saw Charlie and Hunter at the police station; interviewing suspects for example. I felt the author really wrote those parts well and made it believable. I do feel this will be a series I will follow and this is a good introduction to Charlie Stafford and her world. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Despite the fact that this book has the feeling of the start of a series which needs to settle down, there is a lot of good things about this crime novel. It opens with a woman and her son who have gone missing. The father is a violent, volatile man and Charlie and her boss, D I Geoffrey Hunter, feel certain he is involved in their disappearance. Why would a mother take one son and leave another behind? Then another woman and her child vanish and it appears that things are more complicated than what appeared to be linked to a domestic incident.
This is a violent, gritty and, often very dark, novel. I did guess the culprit and usually I have no idea, so I do wonder whether this will easily be spotted by other readers. However, this did not affect my enjoyment of the book. There was a lot of tension, a good number of possible suspects and I really did enjoy the parts of the novel where we saw Charlie and Hunter at the police station; interviewing suspects for example. I felt the author really wrote those parts well and made it believable. I do feel this will be a series I will follow and this is a good introduction to Charlie Stafford and her world. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
August 28, 2016
Mummy’s Favorite by Sarah Flint is a very creepy British police procedural novel introducing DC Charlotte 'Charlie' Stafford of London Metropolitan Police.
Charlie Stafford with her boss DI Hunter looks into the disappearance of a mother son pair. Initially they are convinced it’s a case of domestic abuse as the husband is a violent man with anger issues. But soon another mother daughter pair, Helena and Daisy McPherson, are kidnapped in broad daylight and they realize they are dealing with a serial kidnapper. With every crime he seems to be escalating and getting more vicious. Will Charlie and the team be able to catch the perpetrator in time or will more victims be sacrificed to fulfill his sick fantasies?
It’s a good start to the series and I was not able to guess the culprit but I couldn’t relate to the protagonist. Even though she comes from a tragic past she has a sweet disposition and always arrives on time to save people from trouble. It seems out of sorts for such a dark gritty novel. Hopefully her character is more developed in the next book
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Charlie Stafford with her boss DI Hunter looks into the disappearance of a mother son pair. Initially they are convinced it’s a case of domestic abuse as the husband is a violent man with anger issues. But soon another mother daughter pair, Helena and Daisy McPherson, are kidnapped in broad daylight and they realize they are dealing with a serial kidnapper. With every crime he seems to be escalating and getting more vicious. Will Charlie and the team be able to catch the perpetrator in time or will more victims be sacrificed to fulfill his sick fantasies?
It’s a good start to the series and I was not able to guess the culprit but I couldn’t relate to the protagonist. Even though she comes from a tragic past she has a sweet disposition and always arrives on time to save people from trouble. It seems out of sorts for such a dark gritty novel. Hopefully her character is more developed in the next book
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
September 18, 2019
I picked up the third book in this series (Liar Liar) without realising it was a series and really enjoyed it so here I am starting from the beginning with book 1. I didn't expect it to be as good as it was (first book and all that) but there you go.I'll be reading them all in due course.
January 27, 2019
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Not too much to say here. I thought this was a strong debut. I think the biggest issue was the fact that we had two separate plots going on here that ended up confusing things. It would have been better to just stay on the main story-line (women and their son or daughter are being abducted) since there was a lot going on there. I also was left with a lot of questions once the villain was unmasked that I don't think were explained sufficiently. I did love the character of Charlie and her backstory was sad. I hope that in the later books in the series her family keeps popping up.
Charlie is a DC with a loving mother and two younger sisters. She has heart and feels things deeply. Flint eventually reveals Charlie's backstory so stick with it. There are hints dropped here and there that something in Charlie's childhood broke her and at first you may end up confused until the full reveal. Along with that, Charlie is looking into the disappearance of an abused housewife. When the abusive husband ends up injuring Charlie when she goes to conduct a search this seems to start a snowball effect that leads to a lot of secrets being revealed.
I think that other characters could have been developed a bit more besides Charlie, her mother, and her DI. At one point I laughed because her coworkers are described and it's brought up one of them is a lesbian and it goes into that and it was a very weird segue.
I think that the murderer's POV was very creepy, a few scenes were a bit hard to read, but I thought Flint did well with them. I think if we had jumped from the murderer to just Charlie it would have been a stronger book.
As I already said, there are multiple POVs in this one. We have Charlie, but also one of the missing women's husband, his defense attorney, the murderer, the missing women, and then someone else as well. There is a lot going on and often the flow between narratives don't work very well. It may have worked better if we didn't have the second plot line going on. It just made me feel like I was reading two separate stories instead of one cohesive one at times.
The writing was a bit tough to get into. I had a struggle with this one since we start off with so many POVs. It took until the 25 percent mark of the book for this to pick up enough for me to keep continuing with it.
The ending was a shocker and we have Charlie going forward it seems with a possible love interest or friend.
Not too much to say here. I thought this was a strong debut. I think the biggest issue was the fact that we had two separate plots going on here that ended up confusing things. It would have been better to just stay on the main story-line (women and their son or daughter are being abducted) since there was a lot going on there. I also was left with a lot of questions once the villain was unmasked that I don't think were explained sufficiently. I did love the character of Charlie and her backstory was sad. I hope that in the later books in the series her family keeps popping up.
Charlie is a DC with a loving mother and two younger sisters. She has heart and feels things deeply. Flint eventually reveals Charlie's backstory so stick with it. There are hints dropped here and there that something in Charlie's childhood broke her and at first you may end up confused until the full reveal. Along with that, Charlie is looking into the disappearance of an abused housewife. When the abusive husband ends up injuring Charlie when she goes to conduct a search this seems to start a snowball effect that leads to a lot of secrets being revealed.
I think that other characters could have been developed a bit more besides Charlie, her mother, and her DI. At one point I laughed because her coworkers are described and it's brought up one of them is a lesbian and it goes into that and it was a very weird segue.
I think that the murderer's POV was very creepy, a few scenes were a bit hard to read, but I thought Flint did well with them. I think if we had jumped from the murderer to just Charlie it would have been a stronger book.
As I already said, there are multiple POVs in this one. We have Charlie, but also one of the missing women's husband, his defense attorney, the murderer, the missing women, and then someone else as well. There is a lot going on and often the flow between narratives don't work very well. It may have worked better if we didn't have the second plot line going on. It just made me feel like I was reading two separate stories instead of one cohesive one at times.
The writing was a bit tough to get into. I had a struggle with this one since we start off with so many POVs. It took until the 25 percent mark of the book for this to pick up enough for me to keep continuing with it.
The ending was a shocker and we have Charlie going forward it seems with a possible love interest or friend.
May 28, 2018
I loved this book so much. Took me a while to read cus of Christmas and new year.
This is the first book I've read by this author and certainly won't be the last!
What can I say. The book is well written, plenty of detail and makes you think never to have a favourite child lol
Look forward to reading more from this author
This is the first book I've read by this author and certainly won't be the last!
What can I say. The book is well written, plenty of detail and makes you think never to have a favourite child lol
Look forward to reading more from this author
February 18, 2019
DC Charlotte “Charlie” Stafford along with her boss, Hunter are in search of a missing woman and her child. Their number one suspect is her abusive husband. But, when another mother and her child goes missing, the case takes a different turn. Who is responsible for these missing women and children? Charlie is determined to find the perpetrator before it's too late. Will she be in time to catch a killer before he targets another unsuspecting mother and child?
This story is really disturbing and freaked me quite a bit. Sarah Flint really plays a lot on my own fears such as tight spaces and bugs. Two things that really give me the heebie jeebies. I could feel myself freaking out during a few scenes of this book. Now, when a book can really make me react, I know it's definitely a keeper. Flint really draws you in with her descriptive scenes that make you feel like you right there and also with her harrowing story line. Flint also brings the shock factor and holds nothing back no matter how gory it can be. There are a few different story lines running parallel to each other during the course of this book and there are quite a few suspects thrown into the mix and I had a hard time in determining who could actually be the culprit. When the final reveal came I was quite surprised.
I really like Charlie and feels she is written perfectly faults and all. She joined the police force due to a tragedy when she was younger and she is great at her job. I can see she has a big heart and cares for people. She is also flawed as well and I can see some of her thinking process sometimes get skewed in her quest for justice. Sarah Flint created a character that seems all too real with her own fears and dreams as well as her passion for justice.
The story moves at a reasonable pace and really builds up the deeper I read into the story. There are a lot of tough and tense scenes and the mystery really grabbed me and I found myself not wanting to put this book down at all. There are some triggers such as child killing, rape and child abuse. I will say though for the most part it was more “off” scene and not as detailed which should not hold anyone back from reading this story.
Mummy’s Favourite is a gripping and disturbing story that will pull at your emotions while shocking you at every turn. What a great start to the DC Charlotte Stafford series. Well worth the read!
This story is really disturbing and freaked me quite a bit. Sarah Flint really plays a lot on my own fears such as tight spaces and bugs. Two things that really give me the heebie jeebies. I could feel myself freaking out during a few scenes of this book. Now, when a book can really make me react, I know it's definitely a keeper. Flint really draws you in with her descriptive scenes that make you feel like you right there and also with her harrowing story line. Flint also brings the shock factor and holds nothing back no matter how gory it can be. There are a few different story lines running parallel to each other during the course of this book and there are quite a few suspects thrown into the mix and I had a hard time in determining who could actually be the culprit. When the final reveal came I was quite surprised.
I really like Charlie and feels she is written perfectly faults and all. She joined the police force due to a tragedy when she was younger and she is great at her job. I can see she has a big heart and cares for people. She is also flawed as well and I can see some of her thinking process sometimes get skewed in her quest for justice. Sarah Flint created a character that seems all too real with her own fears and dreams as well as her passion for justice.
The story moves at a reasonable pace and really builds up the deeper I read into the story. There are a lot of tough and tense scenes and the mystery really grabbed me and I found myself not wanting to put this book down at all. There are some triggers such as child killing, rape and child abuse. I will say though for the most part it was more “off” scene and not as detailed which should not hold anyone back from reading this story.
Mummy’s Favourite is a gripping and disturbing story that will pull at your emotions while shocking you at every turn. What a great start to the DC Charlotte Stafford series. Well worth the read!
January 29, 2019
Review can be found on my blog here: https://booksonthebookshelf.wordpress...
....
Chilling, creepy, and addicting! This book had me sitting on the edge of my seat as I read page after page. Who was taking all of the mother and child pairs, and murdering the children? Why take revenge on the mother’s “favourite”? The abductor certainly had his or her fair share of mental health issues with a need for revenge against women and their perceived “favourite” child. Who could be responsible for such heinous crimes?
I loved this book from beginning to end. I love a good police procedural novel, that keeps you guessing, and this book does just that! A fantastic who-done-it book that will leave you on the edge of your seat, as you read chapter after nail-biting chapter.
I loved the main character D.C. Charlie Stafford. She was a badass female lead in the novel and I loved that. She was interesting, determined to uncover the truth, and ruthless. She knew what she wanted and how to get it, and she was good at what she did. I enjoyed reading her character development in the book.
This book had me hooked through all the chilling twists and turns, right through to the end. I look forward to reading more books by Sarah Flint, and more in the DC Charlie Stafford series.
As the title states – you wouldn’t want to my Mummy’s Favourite.
A must read to add to your collection!
....
Chilling, creepy, and addicting! This book had me sitting on the edge of my seat as I read page after page. Who was taking all of the mother and child pairs, and murdering the children? Why take revenge on the mother’s “favourite”? The abductor certainly had his or her fair share of mental health issues with a need for revenge against women and their perceived “favourite” child. Who could be responsible for such heinous crimes?
I loved this book from beginning to end. I love a good police procedural novel, that keeps you guessing, and this book does just that! A fantastic who-done-it book that will leave you on the edge of your seat, as you read chapter after nail-biting chapter.
I loved the main character D.C. Charlie Stafford. She was a badass female lead in the novel and I loved that. She was interesting, determined to uncover the truth, and ruthless. She knew what she wanted and how to get it, and she was good at what she did. I enjoyed reading her character development in the book.
This book had me hooked through all the chilling twists and turns, right through to the end. I look forward to reading more books by Sarah Flint, and more in the DC Charlie Stafford series.
As the title states – you wouldn’t want to my Mummy’s Favourite.
A must read to add to your collection!
July 16, 2018
Once I got over a little confusion that I had with the story in the beginning, I really enjoyed this one!
Buried in a woodland grave are a mother and a child. One is alive. One is dead. DC 'Charlie' Stafford is assigned by her boss, DI Geoffrey Hunter, to assist with the missing person investigation, where mothers and children are being snatched in broad daylight. As more pairs go missing, the pressure mounts. Leads are going cold. Suspects are identified but have they got the right person? Can Charlie stop the sadistic killer whose only wish is to punish those deemed to have commited a wrong? Or will she herself unwittingly become a victim.
I love crime novels so I wasn't surprised to learn that this will be another series that I love. This is the first book in the series and I am already hooked!
Charlie Stafford is a very likeable character and although she doesn't have a memorable advantage as compared to other lead characters in crime novels - I enjoyed reading the chapters that involved her solving the case.
What made this book excellent though was the truly gripping heart-stopping plotline that dominated this read! Yes I did get a tad confused in the beginning, but the story very quickly got more and more thrilling to the point where I just couldn't stop reading! This book is fast-paced and kept me guessing right to the end!
A completely compelling shocking read! Can't wait to start the second book in this series!
Buried in a woodland grave are a mother and a child. One is alive. One is dead. DC 'Charlie' Stafford is assigned by her boss, DI Geoffrey Hunter, to assist with the missing person investigation, where mothers and children are being snatched in broad daylight. As more pairs go missing, the pressure mounts. Leads are going cold. Suspects are identified but have they got the right person? Can Charlie stop the sadistic killer whose only wish is to punish those deemed to have commited a wrong? Or will she herself unwittingly become a victim.
I love crime novels so I wasn't surprised to learn that this will be another series that I love. This is the first book in the series and I am already hooked!
Charlie Stafford is a very likeable character and although she doesn't have a memorable advantage as compared to other lead characters in crime novels - I enjoyed reading the chapters that involved her solving the case.
What made this book excellent though was the truly gripping heart-stopping plotline that dominated this read! Yes I did get a tad confused in the beginning, but the story very quickly got more and more thrilling to the point where I just couldn't stop reading! This book is fast-paced and kept me guessing right to the end!
A completely compelling shocking read! Can't wait to start the second book in this series!
July 31, 2016
DC Charlie Stafford has a past that influenced her decision to go into police work. She works well with her superiors and her team. They are investigating the disappearance of a mother and son they think may be domestic abuse because it took the husband 4 days to report them missing. Then there is second disappearance of another mother and son and there is no clear link to the two cases. Who is doing the abducting and how can they catch the criminal before more mothers and their children are taken. DC Charlie Stafford will be a new character to follow. Great read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
September 2, 2017
nejde o to, ze by to melo pomaly rozjezd, ale ze zacatku do bylo takove nemastne, neslane. i kdyz zazivne, protoze Charlie a Hunter jsou skveli, tak porad mi tomu neco chybelo... a ted, na konci rikam jen wow! tohle bylo fakt dobre!
July 9, 2016
This is certainly one of the most twisted books I've read,I think I actually cringed at the child abuse description and the mother's being left with their child's dead body.
I found the character of Charlie slightly irritating, she's wonder girl, can't even go for a quick stroll down the road without stopping a crime. Everybody loves her...
Plus she has a tragic past, that was hinted at for so long, and turned out to be nothing like I expected.
I'm assuming it's only a matter of time before her father turns up and is a wrong un.
Having said all that, the supporting characters are solid, the second book will be interesting to see how the team band together after Colins capture, and the storyline was nicely muddied with the stalker angle.
I guess it comes down to I didn't like Charlie then...
I found the character of Charlie slightly irritating, she's wonder girl, can't even go for a quick stroll down the road without stopping a crime. Everybody loves her...
Plus she has a tragic past, that was hinted at for so long, and turned out to be nothing like I expected.
I'm assuming it's only a matter of time before her father turns up and is a wrong un.
Having said all that, the supporting characters are solid, the second book will be interesting to see how the team band together after Colins capture, and the storyline was nicely muddied with the stalker angle.
I guess it comes down to I didn't like Charlie then...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2016
" A brief look"
I've never failed to finish reading a book I've elected to review before. There are issues with spelling & punctuation, as others have remarked on, but that didn't bother me that much. If the story is good, then most avid readers can see beyond that and just enjoy the experience. I got to about a third of the way through and based on that the writing was of a good quality for a debut novel. For some reason, this one never 'gripped' my attention. I found my mind wandering and although at that stage I had no clue as to who the serial killer was; I wasn't worried whether I ever found out or not..
I've never failed to finish reading a book I've elected to review before. There are issues with spelling & punctuation, as others have remarked on, but that didn't bother me that much. If the story is good, then most avid readers can see beyond that and just enjoy the experience. I got to about a third of the way through and based on that the writing was of a good quality for a debut novel. For some reason, this one never 'gripped' my attention. I found my mind wandering and although at that stage I had no clue as to who the serial killer was; I wasn't worried whether I ever found out or not..
November 24, 2018
Oh wow this is a fast paced storyline that will make you breathless panting along with the procedure to find out who is the serial killer.
Excellently written for readers who love a good plot, a result that is so hidden it will keep you guessing until the end.
Excellently written for readers who love a good plot, a result that is so hidden it will keep you guessing until the end.
August 5, 2017
I gave this a good go but I just can't get into it. Not holding my interest at all. Have decided to move on.
August 17, 2020
Mummy's Favorite is averagely an entertaining read. Not bad but nothing impressive except DC Charlotte Stafford. Well, Charlie is young and energetic she's different from my go-to female detectives like Kim Stone, Nikki Galena, or Erika Foster but I like Charlie and would like to see her progress.
July 6, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Aria for an advance copy of Mummy's Favourite, the first in a series of London based police procedurals to feature DC Charlie Stafford.
It takes Keith Hubbard four days to report the disappearance of his wife, Julie, and one of his sons. His changing story, propensity for violence and serious house cleaning make him the prime suspect until another woman and one of her children with no connection to Keith go missing. The team are stumped as they have no motive and no clues and it now looks more like a stranger abduction. The waters are muddied further by a subplot where Keith's lawyer, Annabelle Leigh-Matthews is pursued by an obsessive stalker. Could the stalker be the abductor?
The novel has several points of view all told in the third person. Mostly we get Charlie's point of view but it is intercut with, initially Julie's thoughts on her ordeal, and latterly the abductor's thoughts and motivations. Normally I'm not a big fan of the perpetrator's thought processes but it works very well here, giving the reader a better insight into what is happening than the police have. It seems to put everything into perspective and rounds out the novel.
Charlie is a captivating character. She has had sadness in her life but is generally an upbeat, caring individual. She is careless of herself in appearance and punctuality but is a smart, dedicated officer and is very well liked by her colleagues.
I also like the balance Ms Flint strikes between procedure and action. Her characters are careful to follow procedure so as not to jeopardise any potential prosecution but the novel is not weighed down by it and it is not invasive. If anything it adds to the realism of the novel and it is interesting to see the characters work within its confines. It is a challenge Ms Flint has met admirably.
I loved Mummy's Favourite and have no hesitation in recommending it as a very good read.
It takes Keith Hubbard four days to report the disappearance of his wife, Julie, and one of his sons. His changing story, propensity for violence and serious house cleaning make him the prime suspect until another woman and one of her children with no connection to Keith go missing. The team are stumped as they have no motive and no clues and it now looks more like a stranger abduction. The waters are muddied further by a subplot where Keith's lawyer, Annabelle Leigh-Matthews is pursued by an obsessive stalker. Could the stalker be the abductor?
The novel has several points of view all told in the third person. Mostly we get Charlie's point of view but it is intercut with, initially Julie's thoughts on her ordeal, and latterly the abductor's thoughts and motivations. Normally I'm not a big fan of the perpetrator's thought processes but it works very well here, giving the reader a better insight into what is happening than the police have. It seems to put everything into perspective and rounds out the novel.
Charlie is a captivating character. She has had sadness in her life but is generally an upbeat, caring individual. She is careless of herself in appearance and punctuality but is a smart, dedicated officer and is very well liked by her colleagues.
I also like the balance Ms Flint strikes between procedure and action. Her characters are careful to follow procedure so as not to jeopardise any potential prosecution but the novel is not weighed down by it and it is not invasive. If anything it adds to the realism of the novel and it is interesting to see the characters work within its confines. It is a challenge Ms Flint has met admirably.
I loved Mummy's Favourite and have no hesitation in recommending it as a very good read.
September 5, 2016
I enjoyed this story but there are some atrocious spelling mistakes in it and a very peculiar habit of hyphenating words that shouldn't be. She also used all American spellings throughout which always annoys me in books set over here.
I did like the mention of her parents at the beginning. That was very sweet. I enjoyed the story, particularly as I despise favouritism myself so it was interesting why he killed.
She writes propensity to violence which is usually for violence, used recognizable instead of recognize-spelling issue aside-council and not counsel (though it was correct further in, oddly), then wrote Hubbard Keith instead of the other way round (??), whiney and not whiny, too and not to, adverse and not averse and this one I gasped at-deceipt and not deceit. HUGE ouch !! Also illicit and not elicit and abstracting and not exacting or extracting. I thought this line was terrible English too-"One was a can of beer in the top of the bin which was still wet and appeared to be recent".......ALL of these should've been picked up by any self-respecting editor.
Now these rogue hyphens. There are way too many to record the lot here but among them are country-side, door-step, pre-occupied, police-woman, dis-respected,etc.....we had missing speechmarks and misused apostrophes too for variation. So sadly, the presentation has let it down a great deal. I'd maybe try another by her as the book kept me interested but unfortunately in equal parts bloody irritated !!
I did like the mention of her parents at the beginning. That was very sweet. I enjoyed the story, particularly as I despise favouritism myself so it was interesting why he killed.
She writes propensity to violence which is usually for violence, used recognizable instead of recognize-spelling issue aside-council and not counsel (though it was correct further in, oddly), then wrote Hubbard Keith instead of the other way round (??), whiney and not whiny, too and not to, adverse and not averse and this one I gasped at-deceipt and not deceit. HUGE ouch !! Also illicit and not elicit and abstracting and not exacting or extracting. I thought this line was terrible English too-"One was a can of beer in the top of the bin which was still wet and appeared to be recent".......ALL of these should've been picked up by any self-respecting editor.
Now these rogue hyphens. There are way too many to record the lot here but among them are country-side, door-step, pre-occupied, police-woman, dis-respected,etc.....we had missing speechmarks and misused apostrophes too for variation. So sadly, the presentation has let it down a great deal. I'd maybe try another by her as the book kept me interested but unfortunately in equal parts bloody irritated !!
August 2, 2016
I always think that there is an authenticity to books written by police officers that research can't provide. They just 'feel' right and this book definitely does. I really liked the main character Charlie and it's great to see this is the first in a series. There was a good balance between the police investigation and procedural parts and the personal life of Charlie and now that we know her we are all set for book 2. The murders were described with enough detail that you know what happened but not too graphic and I didn't manage to work out the murderer prior to the reveal. I do like when an author ties up all the loose ends in the final chapter but there was a part that felt a bit too contrived and I would have rather left unresolved. Overall, I thought this was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading more of the series.
I received a free copy of Mummy's Favourite in return for an honest review and my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Aria for that.
I received a free copy of Mummy's Favourite in return for an honest review and my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Aria for that.
August 9, 2016
I received this arc from Netgalley.
This book didn't really hold my attention as well as I'd hoped. Everything about Charlie just annoyed me, especially how she felt that she had to be the one to solve the case. I just wanted to get to the end as fast as possible. Highly unlikely that I would read anything else by this author.
This book didn't really hold my attention as well as I'd hoped. Everything about Charlie just annoyed me, especially how she felt that she had to be the one to solve the case. I just wanted to get to the end as fast as possible. Highly unlikely that I would read anything else by this author.
February 7, 2019
Full - and somewhat overdue - review to come on crimeworm.wordpress.com.
This debut from an ex-detective has an engaging lead character, intriguingly original murders, and a damnably good twist in the tale. This has a great deal of promise for a series.
This debut from an ex-detective has an engaging lead character, intriguingly original murders, and a damnably good twist in the tale. This has a great deal of promise for a series.
April 20, 2021
This was my most difficult read so far. Started off with the audio book, but the narration was horrendous and I gave up at 45%. Then got the book on Kindle. If it was not for the killer's way of killing, I would have given up this as a bad buy. The plus of the book was the killings, a nice change from the usual young women kept in a dungeon/room books. I suspected who the killer was fairly soon and that disappointed. It took me forever to finish. I hated Charlie - really, I prefer my policewomen not to be or behave like an untidy, unruly and obnoxious 12 year old. It made me lose interest in the other characters.
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