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Losing Leah
A DEBUT CRIME THRILLER FROM AN AWARD-WINNING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND TV DRAMATIST.
On a cold, dark February morning, Chris and Leah Hills stop for coffee at an isolated service station a stone’s throw from the Welsh Borders. While Leah heads inside, Chris locks the car and goes in to order their drinks.
Minutes pass. Chris waits and waits, but Leah doesn’t come back. When Sergeant Mel Daley and her boss, Detective Inspector Harry Baker, arrive to begin a search for the missing woman, their investigation calls everything into question. Is she alive? Did she leave the service station with someone else? Did Leah ever even leave Norfolk? While her husband becomes more frantic, the pair
begin to unravel a tangle of dark secrets from the past.
Perfect for fans of Robert Galbraith and The Girl on the Train.
On a cold, dark February morning, Chris and Leah Hills stop for coffee at an isolated service station a stone’s throw from the Welsh Borders. While Leah heads inside, Chris locks the car and goes in to order their drinks.
Minutes pass. Chris waits and waits, but Leah doesn’t come back. When Sergeant Mel Daley and her boss, Detective Inspector Harry Baker, arrive to begin a search for the missing woman, their investigation calls everything into question. Is she alive? Did she leave the service station with someone else? Did Leah ever even leave Norfolk? While her husband becomes more frantic, the pair
begin to unravel a tangle of dark secrets from the past.
Perfect for fans of Robert Galbraith and The Girl on the Train.
185 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2017
36 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Sue Welfare
26 books61 followersSue is an award winning and Times best selling author. She’s published around thirty novels under various pen names including Gemma Fox and Kate Lawson and written erotic fiction under a couple of others.
Sue was among the winners of the Channel 4 SitCom Fest and was the first ever BBC local radio Story Laureate.
Sue lives in Norfolk with her husband and two dogs.
When not writing she loves gardening, singing, cooking and making things – her current passion is making mosaics, which involves smashing crockery with a big hammer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
February 19, 2018
On their way to their cottage in Wales on February morning, Chris and Leah Hills stop for coffee at a small service station. When Chris can't find Leah he raises the alarm.. where did his wife go and why did nobody see her enter or leave the shop. DS Baker and DS Daley are on duty and turn up at the location to begin the search.
This was a very quick read that I finished in just a few hours. Some very unlikeable characters and a great story that keeps you guessing. Thanks to Mirror Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions
This was a very quick read that I finished in just a few hours. Some very unlikeable characters and a great story that keeps you guessing. Thanks to Mirror Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions
September 25, 2020
This had me from the beginning. Opening with Chris Hills searching the ladies’ toilets for his wife, the pace ramps up immediately. I could not put this book down. Where was Leah? What secrets did Chris have? How was this book going to end?
I was addicted to this book and Welfare’s writing style made this book easily captivating. I believed in Chris Hills and his story, but it is not until the police start digging with their investigations, that more of his history is revealed. Gradually, the novel shows that there is more to Chris Hills than the frantic husband that readers see in the opening chapters, and I enjoyed how Welfare spreads out these clues over the development of the story, without detriment to the mystery and suspense.
Sergeant Mel Daley is a likeable character. I was surprised to see how Welfare switched from third person to first person when it is from Daley’s perspective. This felt unusual and was also a reminder of when we were in the midst of the police investigation. Typical to such police, crime stories, Daley has her own backstory which is only shown as more of the main story gathers momentum. Indeed, once I had concluded the novel, I was excited to see that another story is planned by Welfare, still featuring Daley.
I really enjoyed this quick read. It was easy to get into and I was entertained by the mystery of the missing woman. To have disappeared from a motorway service station was a unique premise and I liked how Welfare develops the story from this setting. In a country known for its high levels of surveillance, I was intrigued to see how a person could disappear without a trace. This adds to the excitement and intensity of the story.
I sincerely hope the next book will be released soon! (I did some internet searching, but there is no word yet…) This was a great read and I was enthralled by Welfare’s narrative. I can’t wait to find out what happens next to Daley, especially as it is suggested her past follows her in the following story.
With thanks to Mirror books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was addicted to this book and Welfare’s writing style made this book easily captivating. I believed in Chris Hills and his story, but it is not until the police start digging with their investigations, that more of his history is revealed. Gradually, the novel shows that there is more to Chris Hills than the frantic husband that readers see in the opening chapters, and I enjoyed how Welfare spreads out these clues over the development of the story, without detriment to the mystery and suspense.
Sergeant Mel Daley is a likeable character. I was surprised to see how Welfare switched from third person to first person when it is from Daley’s perspective. This felt unusual and was also a reminder of when we were in the midst of the police investigation. Typical to such police, crime stories, Daley has her own backstory which is only shown as more of the main story gathers momentum. Indeed, once I had concluded the novel, I was excited to see that another story is planned by Welfare, still featuring Daley.
I really enjoyed this quick read. It was easy to get into and I was entertained by the mystery of the missing woman. To have disappeared from a motorway service station was a unique premise and I liked how Welfare develops the story from this setting. In a country known for its high levels of surveillance, I was intrigued to see how a person could disappear without a trace. This adds to the excitement and intensity of the story.
I sincerely hope the next book will be released soon! (I did some internet searching, but there is no word yet…) This was a great read and I was enthralled by Welfare’s narrative. I can’t wait to find out what happens next to Daley, especially as it is suggested her past follows her in the following story.
With thanks to Mirror books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2018
Chris and Leah Hills stop for a coffee at an isolated service station a stones throw from the Welsh Border. While Leah heads inside, Chris locks the car and goes inside to order them a drink. She shouldn't be long, they only stopped to stretch their legs. But Leah does not come back.
Sargent Mel Daley and Detective Inspector Harry Baker have their work cut out trying to find out what has happened to Leah. The story starts as a basic police procedural which then gets darker. There are revelations and disturbing clues and a final blood chilling twist. The more we read the more we get told shocking information on Leah. My only criticism is I thought was unnecessary about this story was Mel Daley's private life. Apart from that, this is a really good debut novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Mirror Books and the author Sue Welfare for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sargent Mel Daley and Detective Inspector Harry Baker have their work cut out trying to find out what has happened to Leah. The story starts as a basic police procedural which then gets darker. There are revelations and disturbing clues and a final blood chilling twist. The more we read the more we get told shocking information on Leah. My only criticism is I thought was unnecessary about this story was Mel Daley's private life. Apart from that, this is a really good debut novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Mirror Books and the author Sue Welfare for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2017
I read Losing Leah today in two sittings – highly addictive and a clever crime drama in the way it played out, some well layered characters and a different vibe to the construction that made it difficult to put down once started.
I don’t think I ever had any doubt about what had happened to Leah – which was confirmed by the ultimate resolution – but that really wasn’t what intrigued me. Hence I loved it. An intelligent take on a crime thriller, an enigmatic puzzle of character rather than of happenstance with some engaging police characters and a hugely compelling psychological element.
Another huge strength was in fact the more procedural elements – an investigation playing out in front of your eyes in a highly authentic feeling way, the setting is also well described (and I actually know the small market town in Norfolk mentioned, I stayed there one year so that made it all the more fun to read) – so the addictive quality is there, the storytelling is brilliant and you’ve really got everything you could want from a crime novel right here within this read.
I’ve not read Sue Welfare’s other novels as yet – but if she writes more crime you can be certain I’ll be at the front of the queue.
Recommended.
I don’t think I ever had any doubt about what had happened to Leah – which was confirmed by the ultimate resolution – but that really wasn’t what intrigued me. Hence I loved it. An intelligent take on a crime thriller, an enigmatic puzzle of character rather than of happenstance with some engaging police characters and a hugely compelling psychological element.
Another huge strength was in fact the more procedural elements – an investigation playing out in front of your eyes in a highly authentic feeling way, the setting is also well described (and I actually know the small market town in Norfolk mentioned, I stayed there one year so that made it all the more fun to read) – so the addictive quality is there, the storytelling is brilliant and you’ve really got everything you could want from a crime novel right here within this read.
I’ve not read Sue Welfare’s other novels as yet – but if she writes more crime you can be certain I’ll be at the front of the queue.
Recommended.
August 16, 2017
Losing Leah definitely contained a mystery had that me stumped. How can someone just disappear from a motorway service station, especially when there is no evidence to prove that she was even there in the first place?
This was an interesting crime story, the evidence and investigation took a while to get going, and the detectives really needed to be in 3 places at once.
Most of the narrative was from Sergeant Mel Daley's point of view, and she explained a missing persons case in rather basic terms that anyone could follow, and the procedure that the police follow in such a case. I found it rather interesting.
Losing Leah was a story that fascinated me, and what struck me most was Chris's character, he was so distraught that his wife had disappeared after a very short space of time, and was frantically wanting to be out searching himself, that it raised flags with me and yet nothing is ever that simple.
I loved seeing Chris get worked up in the interview rooms, especially while also seeing how the police investigation was going. Sergeant Daley on the other hand seemed like a good detective, but I wasn't so keen on her personal life, that was touched on in places, but not overly fleshed out.
This is a good story, that was simple enough to follow but as it progressed became more complex, to the extent that I was still wondering what exactly happened to Leah for the majority of the book.
Thank you to Sue Welfare for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
This was an interesting crime story, the evidence and investigation took a while to get going, and the detectives really needed to be in 3 places at once.
Most of the narrative was from Sergeant Mel Daley's point of view, and she explained a missing persons case in rather basic terms that anyone could follow, and the procedure that the police follow in such a case. I found it rather interesting.
Losing Leah was a story that fascinated me, and what struck me most was Chris's character, he was so distraught that his wife had disappeared after a very short space of time, and was frantically wanting to be out searching himself, that it raised flags with me and yet nothing is ever that simple.
I loved seeing Chris get worked up in the interview rooms, especially while also seeing how the police investigation was going. Sergeant Daley on the other hand seemed like a good detective, but I wasn't so keen on her personal life, that was touched on in places, but not overly fleshed out.
This is a good story, that was simple enough to follow but as it progressed became more complex, to the extent that I was still wondering what exactly happened to Leah for the majority of the book.
Thank you to Sue Welfare for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
December 16, 2017
DI Harry Baker and Sergeant Mel Daley are called to investigate a missing woman, Leah Hills. She and her husband stop at a service station for a rest stop and Chris never sees his wife again.
Chris Hills is adamant that Leah would never just walk off. She was his soul mate. They had a perfect marriage. She couldn't live without him to guide her through life. But those that are investigating are finding that Chris' story just isn't adding up. And then they stumble onto some deep dark secrets that Chris hasn't shared with them.
So where is Leah?
This debut crime thriller realistically walks the reader through a missing persons investigation. It's not particularly exciting, it gets downright repetitive at times ... but this is one of the most honest looks at this side of law enforcement that I've seen in quite a while.
The first part of this book is a bit slow going .. no shoot em ups, no wild car chases. Just a determined group of people doing their jobs. There is suspense, though .... and about halfway through the book, the suspense becomes palpable. I loved the surprise ending!
All in all this is a well-written thriller with realistic tones. I look forward to more of the same by this author.
Many thanks to the author / Mirror Books / #LosingLeah #NetGalley for the digital copy of this crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
August 31, 2019
4.70 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐
A wife goes missing after going into a small mall to use the restroom. The suspense and intrigue in this book were what made it very good. Even if you figure out some things there's always something else to puzzle through. That's something I look forward to in this genre of entertainment. 😏
A wife goes missing after going into a small mall to use the restroom. The suspense and intrigue in this book were what made it very good. Even if you figure out some things there's always something else to puzzle through. That's something I look forward to in this genre of entertainment. 😏
December 20, 2017
The storyline was great; Chris and Leah stopped to have a cup of coffee on their way to their country home. When Chris returned with coffee, Leah seemed to have disappeared. The police were called, and the investigation started which went deeper, till unexpected secrets were revealed....
I love stories like this where there is a disappearance, and I keep on guessing along with the police. sometimes I win, sometimes the author wins. This is my first book by the author Sue Welfare, and it is a brilliantly fast read.
There was an air of suspense surrounding all the characters, and nothing seemed to be true. There were hidden layers underneath the air of innocuousness all the characters displayed. Sue has done a great job in writing such an innocently deceptive atmosphere where not so innocent characters resided.
The police investigation written by Sue, was quite different. They were slow but very thorough; I liked the fact that nobody gave up till the very end, up to the last page.
There are a few things which could have been better, more twists in the story, a tightly crafted suspense. I didn't like the fact, that I could guess most of the story. The lead investigative officers Mel Daley and Harry Baker, were not very captivating or notable.
The story might appear to have a known plot line, but the treatment given was certainly novel. The author goes into the details of the mystery and suspense without being too gruesome or macabre.
In guessing the story, some parts I won and some parts the author did. In spite of realising how the story would end, it did not detract me from enjoying the book.
I love stories like this where there is a disappearance, and I keep on guessing along with the police. sometimes I win, sometimes the author wins. This is my first book by the author Sue Welfare, and it is a brilliantly fast read.
There was an air of suspense surrounding all the characters, and nothing seemed to be true. There were hidden layers underneath the air of innocuousness all the characters displayed. Sue has done a great job in writing such an innocently deceptive atmosphere where not so innocent characters resided.
The police investigation written by Sue, was quite different. They were slow but very thorough; I liked the fact that nobody gave up till the very end, up to the last page.
There are a few things which could have been better, more twists in the story, a tightly crafted suspense. I didn't like the fact, that I could guess most of the story. The lead investigative officers Mel Daley and Harry Baker, were not very captivating or notable.
The story might appear to have a known plot line, but the treatment given was certainly novel. The author goes into the details of the mystery and suspense without being too gruesome or macabre.
In guessing the story, some parts I won and some parts the author did. In spite of realising how the story would end, it did not detract me from enjoying the book.
March 12, 2018
4 Stars
Read full review here:5171 Miles Book Blog
Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror Books for providing a copy for review.
Losing Leah was great! Sue Welfare turned a simple missing person scenario into a gripping and fast-paced storyline. I really enjoyed it.
From the very first page until the very last, the story had me hooked. Where was Leah Hills? Everyone wanted to know: Chris Hills, her colleagues, the investigating police force, but especially me.
Last year I read a novel about a kidnapped girl, 99 Red Balloons, and although the stories are not at all smiliar, both books had the police investigating on the case. Whereas the focus in 99 Red Balloons was about the family and other people involved and how they reacted and coped with the events, the focus in Losing Leah was on the police side of things only. It was interesting but also educational to see how DS Daley, DI Baker and the rest of the police force handled and operated the case, but especially why they did the things they did. Sue Welfare even included UK statistics, e. g. how many women go missing every year, how the police classify missing people's cases or when the police look for a body instead of a person. Sue Welfare did her homework, which really impressed me.
The book was told from the first person narrative of DS Daley and the third person narrative of DI Baker. Since both worked on the same case but investigated on different ends, I got a fantastic view on how they both put together the puzzle piece by piece.
Each page and each chapter revealed new shocking details and information on Leah and on what might have happened to her. I still can't fathom the depth and the complexity of the story: It started out with a missing person only but it turned to be so much more.
Also, I'm pretty sure that I will never look at snowdrops the same again.
There was actually only one thing that I didn't like about the story, or rather one thing which I found unnecessary: DS Daley's private life. Although it was quite nice to see what kind of person she was off-duty, those few scenes only stirred up irrelevant drama which didn't contribute to the story and the outcome at all.
**********
What a great book! I didn't think I would like it that much!
RTC!!
Read full review here:5171 Miles Book Blog
Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror Books for providing a copy for review.
Losing Leah was great! Sue Welfare turned a simple missing person scenario into a gripping and fast-paced storyline. I really enjoyed it.
From the very first page until the very last, the story had me hooked. Where was Leah Hills? Everyone wanted to know: Chris Hills, her colleagues, the investigating police force, but especially me.
Last year I read a novel about a kidnapped girl, 99 Red Balloons, and although the stories are not at all smiliar, both books had the police investigating on the case. Whereas the focus in 99 Red Balloons was about the family and other people involved and how they reacted and coped with the events, the focus in Losing Leah was on the police side of things only. It was interesting but also educational to see how DS Daley, DI Baker and the rest of the police force handled and operated the case, but especially why they did the things they did. Sue Welfare even included UK statistics, e. g. how many women go missing every year, how the police classify missing people's cases or when the police look for a body instead of a person. Sue Welfare did her homework, which really impressed me.
The book was told from the first person narrative of DS Daley and the third person narrative of DI Baker. Since both worked on the same case but investigated on different ends, I got a fantastic view on how they both put together the puzzle piece by piece.
Each page and each chapter revealed new shocking details and information on Leah and on what might have happened to her. I still can't fathom the depth and the complexity of the story: It started out with a missing person only but it turned to be so much more.
Also, I'm pretty sure that I will never look at snowdrops the same again.
There was actually only one thing that I didn't like about the story, or rather one thing which I found unnecessary: DS Daley's private life. Although it was quite nice to see what kind of person she was off-duty, those few scenes only stirred up irrelevant drama which didn't contribute to the story and the outcome at all.
**********
What a great book! I didn't think I would like it that much!
RTC!!
December 8, 2017
When Leah and Chris stop off at a service station during a road trip, Leah nips to the loo and vanishes off the face of the earth.
The officer in charge of the missing person case states: 'there are only four possibilities - she left of her own volition, she was abducted, she is still here somewhere or she was never here at all.'
So which one is it?
I really enjoyed this. It starts as a basic police procedural but gets progressively darker, with disturbing clues and revelations that lead to a chilling final twist. It's one of those books where you say 'just one more chapter' but are still reading an hour later, and an hour after that too.
Intriguing but not heavy going, it was the perfect Sunday afternoon, curled up in an armchair, one-sitting read. What the hell has happened to Leah?
The officer in charge of the missing person case states: 'there are only four possibilities - she left of her own volition, she was abducted, she is still here somewhere or she was never here at all.'
So which one is it?
I really enjoyed this. It starts as a basic police procedural but gets progressively darker, with disturbing clues and revelations that lead to a chilling final twist. It's one of those books where you say 'just one more chapter' but are still reading an hour later, and an hour after that too.
Intriguing but not heavy going, it was the perfect Sunday afternoon, curled up in an armchair, one-sitting read. What the hell has happened to Leah?
March 19, 2018
"Loosing Leah" starts very slowly and not very unusual. A couple stops at a rest stop on their way to their holiday home in Wales. The woman, Leah, goes to the bathroom. But she does not return. Her husband is completely dissolved and calls the police. Leah just disappeared. The whole story becomes more mysterious with every page and inconsistencies arise.
The book is a slow burner. The writing style is calm and unspectacular. At first I really had to concentrate to focus on the story. But gradually the whole thing became more interesting. The many little things that did not fit together and the mystery of Leah's disappearance made me curious. I soon had an idea how it could have been. I was right with my assumption. However, the book ends a bit abruptly.
"Loosing Leah" is a slowly increasing subtle drama. Leah remains an enigmatic figure all the time, and one can understand why the investigating officer Mel Delany gets so into it. I especially liked the gloomy atmosphere and how slowly more and more abysses are opening up. I can understand when some readers classify the book as too lengthy. It took me a while to get into it. But then I would have liked to read it in one sitting. I found the private problems of Mel Delany a bit unneseccessary. The character drawing is a bit superficial on all characters and maybe this storyline should give Mel some depth. I could have done without it. But the story about the disappearance of Leah and the police work around it convinced me. I really enjoyed this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The book is a slow burner. The writing style is calm and unspectacular. At first I really had to concentrate to focus on the story. But gradually the whole thing became more interesting. The many little things that did not fit together and the mystery of Leah's disappearance made me curious. I soon had an idea how it could have been. I was right with my assumption. However, the book ends a bit abruptly.
"Loosing Leah" is a slowly increasing subtle drama. Leah remains an enigmatic figure all the time, and one can understand why the investigating officer Mel Delany gets so into it. I especially liked the gloomy atmosphere and how slowly more and more abysses are opening up. I can understand when some readers classify the book as too lengthy. It took me a while to get into it. But then I would have liked to read it in one sitting. I found the private problems of Mel Delany a bit unneseccessary. The character drawing is a bit superficial on all characters and maybe this storyline should give Mel some depth. I could have done without it. But the story about the disappearance of Leah and the police work around it convinced me. I really enjoyed this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
January 7, 2018
Losing Leah by Sue Welfare was an interesting read with a fascinating plot line. Chris and Leah Hills are on the way to their cottage in Wales when they stop off at a motorway service station. Leah disappears whilst in the service station - how can someone just disappear?
The book follows the police investigation by Sergeant Mel Daley and DI Harry Baker which was very interesting - how reliable a witness is Chris? Was Leah even in the car with him? The story goes on a wild goose chase and uncovers secrets that no one was expecting.
Losing Leah was well written and it was easy to follow the police investigation - sometimes it can get overly complicated but this was easy to read and enjoyable.
There were lots of twists and turns that I didn't expect - I definitely didn't expect the ending which is always a bonus with me. However at times it was a little slow, several pages and nothing happens but I guess that's like a missing persons case in real life. Sometimes it is slow.
Throughout the book, the characters changed my views of them - I liked Mel Daley but at times she was a little annoying. At first I felt sorry for Chris, how can he lose his wife like that? But later in the book, secrets are uncovered and my view is changed of him.
If you enjoy police procedural novels then this is an interesting read however if you want something fast-paced this one isn't it. If it was a bit more fast-paced in some places I would have given it 5 stars however it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment.
I'll be looking forward to seeing what else Sue Welfare writes and has already written.
The book follows the police investigation by Sergeant Mel Daley and DI Harry Baker which was very interesting - how reliable a witness is Chris? Was Leah even in the car with him? The story goes on a wild goose chase and uncovers secrets that no one was expecting.
Losing Leah was well written and it was easy to follow the police investigation - sometimes it can get overly complicated but this was easy to read and enjoyable.
There were lots of twists and turns that I didn't expect - I definitely didn't expect the ending which is always a bonus with me. However at times it was a little slow, several pages and nothing happens but I guess that's like a missing persons case in real life. Sometimes it is slow.
Throughout the book, the characters changed my views of them - I liked Mel Daley but at times she was a little annoying. At first I felt sorry for Chris, how can he lose his wife like that? But later in the book, secrets are uncovered and my view is changed of him.
If you enjoy police procedural novels then this is an interesting read however if you want something fast-paced this one isn't it. If it was a bit more fast-paced in some places I would have given it 5 stars however it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment.
I'll be looking forward to seeing what else Sue Welfare writes and has already written.
February 2, 2018
While I kind of had it figured out, I didn't expect a good bit of this one. I think some parts could have been left out that were not applicable to the story-like the personal life of the officer. Overall it was a good, exciting read.
April 9, 2022
This was a fantastic read. Once I started I just wanted to keep on reading it. It was so gripping and had so many twists and turns in it that it really kept you guessing until the last few pages. This is another new author for me and I know she’s written more so I’ll be looking out for more by her soon.
January 14, 2018
Absolutely loved it. I simply could not put this down. I felt like I was part of the police force trying to find this missing person before it was to late, and putting the book down might jeopardize the outcome. Very highly recommend. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Ver
March 22, 2018
Review to come. Thanks to Sue Welfare and publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
March 12, 2018
Wow! That was utterly incredible. It’s always so refreshing to read a crime thriller that puts a whole new twist on and takes you on a wildly different journey.
Chris Hills reports his wife (Leah Hills) missing at a service station in the middle of nowhere whilst they were on holiday. She seems to just completely vanish without a trace.
The novel is gripping, well written and the characters are fascinating with excellent prose.
I won’t say too much because I don’t want to spoil it for future readers but go get a copy!
Chris Hills reports his wife (Leah Hills) missing at a service station in the middle of nowhere whilst they were on holiday. She seems to just completely vanish without a trace.
The novel is gripping, well written and the characters are fascinating with excellent prose.
I won’t say too much because I don’t want to spoil it for future readers but go get a copy!
June 6, 2019
Je remercie Pauline ainsi que la maison d'éditions De Saxus pour cette nouvelle découverte. Un résumé alléchant pour qui aime les thrillers et des idées déjà sur ce qui pouvait bien se passer sans même avoir ouvert le livre. Je suis douée pour voir plus loin. La couverture est douce, comme les autres livres de cette maison d'éditions, le titre en reflet et j'aime beaucoup la combinaison de divers jaunes. C'est sobre et pourtant il s'agit d'un livre qui aurait attiré mon attention sur une étagère.
Il y a 4 possibilités lorsqu'il s'agit d'une disparition d'une personne : soit elle a quitté l'endroit de son plein gré, soit elle a été enlevé, soit elle est toujours quelque part dans le coin soit elle n'a jamais mis les pieds dans cet endroit. L'inspecteur Harry Baker a cette vision des choses qui nous fait chercher plus loin que l'on ne pourrait y croire. Lorsqu'il reçoit le message qu'une femme d'une quarantaine d'années a disparu, c'est une enquête qui démarre sur les chapeaux de roues. Leah Hills et son mari Chris s'arrêtent sur une aire d'autoroute très tôt le matin. Un arrêt café et toilettes avant de reprendre la route pour s'octroyer un weekend en amoureux bien mérité. Les minutes passent et Chris attends désespérément sa femme, la cherchant partout dans la station, mais ne la retrouve pas. Les enquêteurs arrivent sur les lieux rapidement et effectuent des fouilles minutieuses. Elle reste introuvable. 4 possibilités, il n'y en a que 4 et c'est sur ces fameuses 4 hypothèses que les équipes de police vont devoir travailler.
Le récit est à la voix du "je" de Mel Daley travaillant dans la police et du il/elle pour tous les autres. Suivre un personnage avec son cheminement, ses doutes et sa façon de travailler est intéressante, sans oublier que nous avons une part de sa vie privée. Le reste du texte est plus "succinct" sans rentrer dans les émotions des personnages, mais ce n'est pas dérangeant, autrement nous connaîtrions déjà qui a fait quoi et surtout pourquoi. bien sue les esprits humains sont d"un compliqué ! En démarrant le texte j'avais, disons-le honnêtement, des certitudes sur le final... En fait, il vaut mieux ne pas en avoir avec ce livre. Il y a toujours un moment où je me disais mais si allons, c'est cette possibilité ! Et paf en plein dans les dents, toujours pas ! L'auteur m'a mise sur les crocs avec son enquête. La plus grande partie du livre se déroule sur trois jours. 72 heures c'est déjà beaucoup pour retrouver une personne vivante. Le démarrage est rapide, avec Chris qui est dans les toilettes pour femmes de cette aire d'autoroute, la cherchant, faisant peur à toutes les femmes qui y sont. Et puis la police arrive. Le périmètre est bouclé. Les plans vérifiés, les hommes mis en place. Les questions tombent.
Voir un homme aussi amoureux, parlant de sa femme comme de son âme soeur est (oui je vais oser l'écrire) mignon. Elle est décrite comme une femme qui est plus jeune que lui, ce qui est vrai, n'arrivant pas à vivre sans lui, ne sachant pas vivre autrement. Elle est douce, gentille, travaille comme fleuriste dans la ville où ils habitent. Elle n'a pas de permis de conduire, n'a pas d'envie particulière et a disparu ! Chris est un homme de plus de cinquante ans qui aime profondément sa femme et veut la retrouver vivante. Elle est à lui comme il est à elle. Lorsque l'inspecteur Baker pose de nombreuses questions, quelques points apparaissent étranges, mais sans intérêt. Ensemble ils vont revoir le déroulé de la journée. Pourquoi ils se sont levés si tôt, vers où ils allaient, pourquoi s'arrêter ici, quel est l'envie subite de faire une surprise dans un pays où il fait froid humide en cette période de l'année ? Rien n'est laissé au hasard. Nous découvrons que pour un enlèvement il ne s'agit pas uniquement de rechercher la personne, mais aussi de la connaître mieux pour déterminer ce qui a bien pu se passer. Qui a part le mari l'a vu en dernier ?
Je rigole en écrivant ma chronique parce que je sais ce qui s'est produit et j'en rigole encore. Je suis une sadique dans l'âme donc c'est normal pour moi d'avoir le sourire, surtout que j'ai adoré l'histoire. (Si personne ne l'a compris avant, rien qu'avec le petit cœur là-haut). Les questions sont banales, les inspecteurs ne font que leur travail. Le pressentiment de ne plus chercher une femme, mais un corps devient de plus en plus fort au fil des heures et des jours qui passent. Et puis il y a des éléments plus pertinent que d'autres, des questions qui titillent plus qu'elles ne devraient. Des réactions sur le mari qui sont dérangeantes, bizarres. Il y a quelque chose qui chatouille le nez de nos inspecteurs. Il faut chercher plus loin. Revenir dans le passé de cet homme et de cette femme va montrer bon nombre d'événements. Il faut creuser encore plus, comprendre ce qui se passe dans leurs têtes.
Mel Daley est un très bon élément, travaillant avec Baker, mais également seule. Lorsqu'elle doit retourner dans la petite ville qu'elle a quitté il y a déjà pas mal de temps pour fouiller dans la vie de Chris et Leah, les souvenirs remontent. Elle est sérieuse, travailleuse et cette affaire la hante. Pourtant elle pourrait facilement être prise par un autre sujet plus personnel au vu des nombreux messages et appels qu'elle reçoit, mais elle veut reprendre sa vie privée en main et retrouver Leah. Elle a une excellente mémoire et cela va lui servir. Baker est quelque peu bourru sans pour autant être le flic "stéréotypé". Il n'a pas la même vision des choses que la plupart des inspecteurs, a des habitudes particulières qui fonctionnent plutôt bien. Les deux formes un duo qui s'écoutent, travaillent ensemble sans vouloir à tout prix avoir raison sur l'autre. Une véritable entente qui amène bon nombre de situation où nous avançons en terrain miné, certes, mais nous avançons dans l'enquête.
Il y a bien entendu les personnages de Chris et de Leah que nous découvrons au fil des pages et puis leur collègue de boulot, patron, leurs amis et voisins. Tout semblait si simple pour ne pas comprendre pourquoi elle a disparu. Les anciennes relations reviennent sur le devant de la scène apportant des éléments lâchant un sombre secret. Savoir si elle est encore en vie ou non n'est plus vraiment le plus important, c'est la retrouver et savoir ce qui s'est passé pour arriver jusqu'à ce point. Plus j'avançais dans le texte et plus j'apprenais des actions passées et en devenir. Un jour ordinaire, un couple ordinaire, un terrible secret. Losing Leah est basé sur le couple que tout le monde voit de l'extérieur mais ne connaît pas ce qui se passe dès que la porte est refermée. Les mensonges, les coups de sang, la maîtrise d'un ou d'une autre, l'enquête ne s'arrête pas à une simple recherche. Elle fouille, elle traque et en grattant la couche superficielle de cet homme et de cette femme, les inspecteurs vont se retrouver avec LE secret de trop.
D'autres personnages gravitent autour des principaux, il y a Kath et Jimmy, la soeur et le beau-frère de Mel, Sheila douée en informatique, Beau (son prénom m'a fait penser à celui d'un des frères de "shérif fais moi peur"), Elise une très bonne amie de Leah, Linda et ses trois enfants, Helen la soeur de Chris, Amy... Chacun d'entre eux a une vision du couple ou de l'un des personnages avec plus ou moins de détails, à nous de remettre toutes les pièces du puzzle dans le bon sens et trouver celui qui est à sa bonne place.
En conclusion, un thriller qui débute sur une disparition inquiétante pour déboucher sur un lourd secret. L'auteur m'a bien mené en bateau jusqu'au bout. J'ai cru en l'une des suppositions pour au final me faire avoir. 4 possibilités, il ne faut pas oublier qu'il y en a 4 et que l'une d'entre elle se rapproche de la vérité. Un livre a dévorer sans condition !
http://chroniqueslivresques.eklablog....
Il y a 4 possibilités lorsqu'il s'agit d'une disparition d'une personne : soit elle a quitté l'endroit de son plein gré, soit elle a été enlevé, soit elle est toujours quelque part dans le coin soit elle n'a jamais mis les pieds dans cet endroit. L'inspecteur Harry Baker a cette vision des choses qui nous fait chercher plus loin que l'on ne pourrait y croire. Lorsqu'il reçoit le message qu'une femme d'une quarantaine d'années a disparu, c'est une enquête qui démarre sur les chapeaux de roues. Leah Hills et son mari Chris s'arrêtent sur une aire d'autoroute très tôt le matin. Un arrêt café et toilettes avant de reprendre la route pour s'octroyer un weekend en amoureux bien mérité. Les minutes passent et Chris attends désespérément sa femme, la cherchant partout dans la station, mais ne la retrouve pas. Les enquêteurs arrivent sur les lieux rapidement et effectuent des fouilles minutieuses. Elle reste introuvable. 4 possibilités, il n'y en a que 4 et c'est sur ces fameuses 4 hypothèses que les équipes de police vont devoir travailler.
Le récit est à la voix du "je" de Mel Daley travaillant dans la police et du il/elle pour tous les autres. Suivre un personnage avec son cheminement, ses doutes et sa façon de travailler est intéressante, sans oublier que nous avons une part de sa vie privée. Le reste du texte est plus "succinct" sans rentrer dans les émotions des personnages, mais ce n'est pas dérangeant, autrement nous connaîtrions déjà qui a fait quoi et surtout pourquoi. bien sue les esprits humains sont d"un compliqué ! En démarrant le texte j'avais, disons-le honnêtement, des certitudes sur le final... En fait, il vaut mieux ne pas en avoir avec ce livre. Il y a toujours un moment où je me disais mais si allons, c'est cette possibilité ! Et paf en plein dans les dents, toujours pas ! L'auteur m'a mise sur les crocs avec son enquête. La plus grande partie du livre se déroule sur trois jours. 72 heures c'est déjà beaucoup pour retrouver une personne vivante. Le démarrage est rapide, avec Chris qui est dans les toilettes pour femmes de cette aire d'autoroute, la cherchant, faisant peur à toutes les femmes qui y sont. Et puis la police arrive. Le périmètre est bouclé. Les plans vérifiés, les hommes mis en place. Les questions tombent.
Voir un homme aussi amoureux, parlant de sa femme comme de son âme soeur est (oui je vais oser l'écrire) mignon. Elle est décrite comme une femme qui est plus jeune que lui, ce qui est vrai, n'arrivant pas à vivre sans lui, ne sachant pas vivre autrement. Elle est douce, gentille, travaille comme fleuriste dans la ville où ils habitent. Elle n'a pas de permis de conduire, n'a pas d'envie particulière et a disparu ! Chris est un homme de plus de cinquante ans qui aime profondément sa femme et veut la retrouver vivante. Elle est à lui comme il est à elle. Lorsque l'inspecteur Baker pose de nombreuses questions, quelques points apparaissent étranges, mais sans intérêt. Ensemble ils vont revoir le déroulé de la journée. Pourquoi ils se sont levés si tôt, vers où ils allaient, pourquoi s'arrêter ici, quel est l'envie subite de faire une surprise dans un pays où il fait froid humide en cette période de l'année ? Rien n'est laissé au hasard. Nous découvrons que pour un enlèvement il ne s'agit pas uniquement de rechercher la personne, mais aussi de la connaître mieux pour déterminer ce qui a bien pu se passer. Qui a part le mari l'a vu en dernier ?
Je rigole en écrivant ma chronique parce que je sais ce qui s'est produit et j'en rigole encore. Je suis une sadique dans l'âme donc c'est normal pour moi d'avoir le sourire, surtout que j'ai adoré l'histoire. (Si personne ne l'a compris avant, rien qu'avec le petit cœur là-haut). Les questions sont banales, les inspecteurs ne font que leur travail. Le pressentiment de ne plus chercher une femme, mais un corps devient de plus en plus fort au fil des heures et des jours qui passent. Et puis il y a des éléments plus pertinent que d'autres, des questions qui titillent plus qu'elles ne devraient. Des réactions sur le mari qui sont dérangeantes, bizarres. Il y a quelque chose qui chatouille le nez de nos inspecteurs. Il faut chercher plus loin. Revenir dans le passé de cet homme et de cette femme va montrer bon nombre d'événements. Il faut creuser encore plus, comprendre ce qui se passe dans leurs têtes.
Mel Daley est un très bon élément, travaillant avec Baker, mais également seule. Lorsqu'elle doit retourner dans la petite ville qu'elle a quitté il y a déjà pas mal de temps pour fouiller dans la vie de Chris et Leah, les souvenirs remontent. Elle est sérieuse, travailleuse et cette affaire la hante. Pourtant elle pourrait facilement être prise par un autre sujet plus personnel au vu des nombreux messages et appels qu'elle reçoit, mais elle veut reprendre sa vie privée en main et retrouver Leah. Elle a une excellente mémoire et cela va lui servir. Baker est quelque peu bourru sans pour autant être le flic "stéréotypé". Il n'a pas la même vision des choses que la plupart des inspecteurs, a des habitudes particulières qui fonctionnent plutôt bien. Les deux formes un duo qui s'écoutent, travaillent ensemble sans vouloir à tout prix avoir raison sur l'autre. Une véritable entente qui amène bon nombre de situation où nous avançons en terrain miné, certes, mais nous avançons dans l'enquête.
Il y a bien entendu les personnages de Chris et de Leah que nous découvrons au fil des pages et puis leur collègue de boulot, patron, leurs amis et voisins. Tout semblait si simple pour ne pas comprendre pourquoi elle a disparu. Les anciennes relations reviennent sur le devant de la scène apportant des éléments lâchant un sombre secret. Savoir si elle est encore en vie ou non n'est plus vraiment le plus important, c'est la retrouver et savoir ce qui s'est passé pour arriver jusqu'à ce point. Plus j'avançais dans le texte et plus j'apprenais des actions passées et en devenir. Un jour ordinaire, un couple ordinaire, un terrible secret. Losing Leah est basé sur le couple que tout le monde voit de l'extérieur mais ne connaît pas ce qui se passe dès que la porte est refermée. Les mensonges, les coups de sang, la maîtrise d'un ou d'une autre, l'enquête ne s'arrête pas à une simple recherche. Elle fouille, elle traque et en grattant la couche superficielle de cet homme et de cette femme, les inspecteurs vont se retrouver avec LE secret de trop.
D'autres personnages gravitent autour des principaux, il y a Kath et Jimmy, la soeur et le beau-frère de Mel, Sheila douée en informatique, Beau (son prénom m'a fait penser à celui d'un des frères de "shérif fais moi peur"), Elise une très bonne amie de Leah, Linda et ses trois enfants, Helen la soeur de Chris, Amy... Chacun d'entre eux a une vision du couple ou de l'un des personnages avec plus ou moins de détails, à nous de remettre toutes les pièces du puzzle dans le bon sens et trouver celui qui est à sa bonne place.
En conclusion, un thriller qui débute sur une disparition inquiétante pour déboucher sur un lourd secret. L'auteur m'a bien mené en bateau jusqu'au bout. J'ai cru en l'une des suppositions pour au final me faire avoir. 4 possibilités, il ne faut pas oublier qu'il y en a 4 et que l'une d'entre elle se rapproche de la vérité. Un livre a dévorer sans condition !
http://chroniqueslivresques.eklablog....
October 8, 2017
I bought this book as I loved the synoposis and saw the highly rated reviews here and on Amazon. I had not read any previous books by this author.
I realise that I am in the minority here as nearly all other readers rate it 5*, but it did not hit the mark for me.
I found the first section of the book quite repetitive and therefore dull, going through police procedure and as it's a missing person case with little to go on, it did not make for an interesting read.
The book does liven up. However, I did not like the way the author switched between first person narrative (from the point of view of DS Mel Daley) and third person, especially when at one time she writes in the third person even though Mel was present which did not make any sense to me and just seemed sloppy.
I think it did also not help my enjoyment of the book as I did not like the values of DS Daley (for reasons I won't mention as I don't want to give a spoiler!). This made her quite an unattractive character to me and hard to take her seriously.
In summmary, a great idea for a plot and despite its flaws I did read the book until the end as I still wanted to find out what had happened to Leah, but in my view there are much better new crime thrillers out there at the moment rather than buying and investing time in reading this one.
I realise that I am in the minority here as nearly all other readers rate it 5*, but it did not hit the mark for me.
I found the first section of the book quite repetitive and therefore dull, going through police procedure and as it's a missing person case with little to go on, it did not make for an interesting read.
The book does liven up. However, I did not like the way the author switched between first person narrative (from the point of view of DS Mel Daley) and third person, especially when at one time she writes in the third person even though Mel was present which did not make any sense to me and just seemed sloppy.
I think it did also not help my enjoyment of the book as I did not like the values of DS Daley (for reasons I won't mention as I don't want to give a spoiler!). This made her quite an unattractive character to me and hard to take her seriously.
In summmary, a great idea for a plot and despite its flaws I did read the book until the end as I still wanted to find out what had happened to Leah, but in my view there are much better new crime thrillers out there at the moment rather than buying and investing time in reading this one.
May 18, 2017
An excellent read. Had to force myself to put it down at bedtime so I could concentrate more on it in the morning when I prefer to read. Easy to read and the many twists and turns in the story had me guessing almost to the very end. So many surprises as the twists were revealed. Can't wait for more like this from Sue Welfare. ;-)
April 2, 2018
*** Find this review and others on my blog! ***
Thank you to Net Galley and Mirror Books for providing me with an e-ARC copy! All opinions in this review are my own and are honest.
This is yet another psychological thriller which follows Leah and her husband Chris. Leah disappears without a trace when they stop at a service station on their way to their Welsh holiday home and this story follows all the events that happen from this disappearance.
Whilst this was a gripping and quick read; I was able to fly through it, I did feel that the writing style did let this down a lot. This apparently follows Sergeant Mel Daley as she tries to unravel the mystery that is Leah disappearing. However, when I picked this up, I had no idea who it was we were following, and I had to read the blurb to figure out who we were following in this story. It was strange because we had little back story about her and I struggled to realise who was telling the story, yet we did see a large section of her private life involving a risqué relationship in the book which just stumped me. I would have loved a better introduction to Mel and to find out more about her as she was the main narrator in this story.
This did feature a lot of police procedure in it which I loved however, a lot of it felt like we were being told things out of a manual on how to be a police officer and what to do in certain situations. It just really struggled in its story-telling capabilities for some of the book which did make it very flat and difficult to connect with the story and also the characters. However, seeing the police procedures in a lot of detail was very, very interesting and this could have been a really interesting 4-star read if the writing was slightly different.
I did enjoy the plot of the book and I did find myself wondering how on earth does a grown woman just completely vanish without a trace?! I did have an idea of what had happened, but I definitely didn’t see the plot twist coming and I did enjoy that part of the book. There was a bit at the very end which seemed like it was chucked in there just to make the book darker and didn’t really make much sense or could have done with more explanation. But overall, it was an interesting plot and I loved how in depth it went with all the investigation into her disappearance and Leah and Chris’s lives.
This was an ok read but wasn’t perfect. I have seen a lot of other bloggers really enjoy this so maybe go and check out their reviews on goodreads to see if this is something that you want to pick up!
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Thank you to Net Galley and Mirror Books for providing me with an e-ARC copy! All opinions in this review are my own and are honest.
This is yet another psychological thriller which follows Leah and her husband Chris. Leah disappears without a trace when they stop at a service station on their way to their Welsh holiday home and this story follows all the events that happen from this disappearance.
Whilst this was a gripping and quick read; I was able to fly through it, I did feel that the writing style did let this down a lot. This apparently follows Sergeant Mel Daley as she tries to unravel the mystery that is Leah disappearing. However, when I picked this up, I had no idea who it was we were following, and I had to read the blurb to figure out who we were following in this story. It was strange because we had little back story about her and I struggled to realise who was telling the story, yet we did see a large section of her private life involving a risqué relationship in the book which just stumped me. I would have loved a better introduction to Mel and to find out more about her as she was the main narrator in this story.
This did feature a lot of police procedure in it which I loved however, a lot of it felt like we were being told things out of a manual on how to be a police officer and what to do in certain situations. It just really struggled in its story-telling capabilities for some of the book which did make it very flat and difficult to connect with the story and also the characters. However, seeing the police procedures in a lot of detail was very, very interesting and this could have been a really interesting 4-star read if the writing was slightly different.
I did enjoy the plot of the book and I did find myself wondering how on earth does a grown woman just completely vanish without a trace?! I did have an idea of what had happened, but I definitely didn’t see the plot twist coming and I did enjoy that part of the book. There was a bit at the very end which seemed like it was chucked in there just to make the book darker and didn’t really make much sense or could have done with more explanation. But overall, it was an interesting plot and I loved how in depth it went with all the investigation into her disappearance and Leah and Chris’s lives.
This was an ok read but wasn’t perfect. I have seen a lot of other bloggers really enjoy this so maybe go and check out their reviews on goodreads to see if this is something that you want to pick up!
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January 5, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Mirror Books for a review copy of Losing Leah, a police procedural featuring DS Mel Daley of the Mercia Police.
Chris and Leah Hills are on their way to their holiday cottage in Wales and stop at Hoden Gap service station. This is the last time Chris sees Leah. DI Baker and the team swing into action but nobody has seen her and there is no trace of her on CCTV so they begin to suspect that she was never there and focus their attention on Chris.
What a great read. I devoured this novel in one sitting, initially enjoying the procedural aspects of the hunt for a missing person but soon getting caught up in the plot. It's not a long read but it's absorbing with great plotting and pace. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the novel opens out from a "simple" missing persons case to something much darker and the way DI Baker slowly allows Chris Hills to reveal his thought processes.
The novel is split into a first person narrative from Mel Daley and a third person when she's not involved. It sounds clumsy but actually works extremely well, giving the reader a wider perspective of the investigation but still maintaining the intimacy of Mel's thoughts. Her voice is smart but inviting and natural, making the novel an easy read. I'm looking forward to meeting her again.
Chris Hills is a very well drawn character with his grief and creepy take on marriage but it's not a crime. I found myself fascinated and repulsed every time he opened his mouth but, again, what works for one couple doesn't work for everyone so who are we to judge? I also enjoyed the detectives' speculation on what he says as it seems very natural.
Losing Leah is a great read and the only thing preventing me from awarding it 5* is that I had a good idea about the main thrust of the plot from the start although there were plenty of other unexpected twists and turns along the way. I have no hesitation in recommending it.
Chris and Leah Hills are on their way to their holiday cottage in Wales and stop at Hoden Gap service station. This is the last time Chris sees Leah. DI Baker and the team swing into action but nobody has seen her and there is no trace of her on CCTV so they begin to suspect that she was never there and focus their attention on Chris.
What a great read. I devoured this novel in one sitting, initially enjoying the procedural aspects of the hunt for a missing person but soon getting caught up in the plot. It's not a long read but it's absorbing with great plotting and pace. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the novel opens out from a "simple" missing persons case to something much darker and the way DI Baker slowly allows Chris Hills to reveal his thought processes.
The novel is split into a first person narrative from Mel Daley and a third person when she's not involved. It sounds clumsy but actually works extremely well, giving the reader a wider perspective of the investigation but still maintaining the intimacy of Mel's thoughts. Her voice is smart but inviting and natural, making the novel an easy read. I'm looking forward to meeting her again.
Chris Hills is a very well drawn character with his grief and creepy take on marriage but it's not a crime. I found myself fascinated and repulsed every time he opened his mouth but, again, what works for one couple doesn't work for everyone so who are we to judge? I also enjoyed the detectives' speculation on what he says as it seems very natural.
Losing Leah is a great read and the only thing preventing me from awarding it 5* is that I had a good idea about the main thrust of the plot from the start although there were plenty of other unexpected twists and turns along the way. I have no hesitation in recommending it.
September 14, 2019
OK, I get it.
I had skimmed through a few reviews of this book before I borrowed it, they were all excellent, but I had to say that the first two thirds of the novel left me rather cold. From the start, I had an idea about what had happened, and that's really what happened even if the ending was a bit different from what I expected, but not by much.
However, the beginning of the story was a police procedural rather descriptive, clinical, by the book, made by police officers rather than human beings. The detectives were superficially portrayed and if there was a try to make the woman telling the story look more human, it wasn't deep and profound. Maybe because I had read that the author writes for the BBC, I could imagine this as a telefilm.
Then the last third of the story happens and then, the pace picks up, there is more rhythm, Leah's personality is more defined, her story - even if predictable - gets more interesting. We end up knowing everything that happened and Leah becomes more human and touching. Finally, I closed this book and increased my rate, that I intended to leave at 3 stars. And the next time the author publishes a suspense, I think I'll be tempted enough to read it !
I had skimmed through a few reviews of this book before I borrowed it, they were all excellent, but I had to say that the first two thirds of the novel left me rather cold. From the start, I had an idea about what had happened, and that's really what happened even if the ending was a bit different from what I expected, but not by much.
However, the beginning of the story was a police procedural rather descriptive, clinical, by the book, made by police officers rather than human beings. The detectives were superficially portrayed and if there was a try to make the woman telling the story look more human, it wasn't deep and profound. Maybe because I had read that the author writes for the BBC, I could imagine this as a telefilm.
Then the last third of the story happens and then, the pace picks up, there is more rhythm, Leah's personality is more defined, her story - even if predictable - gets more interesting. We end up knowing everything that happened and Leah becomes more human and touching. Finally, I closed this book and increased my rate, that I intended to leave at 3 stars. And the next time the author publishes a suspense, I think I'll be tempted enough to read it !
March 1, 2018
The book begins with Chris Hills being found in the ladies toilets of a service station searching for his lost wife, Leah. She had disappeared after going into the service station, DI Harry Baker and DS Mel Daley arrive to investigate her disappearance and find that there are no sightings of her on CCTV and begin to have their suspicions about Chris and his story.
The book then turns into a great read. It is quite a short book but very absorbing, with a good plot. It starts off as just a missing person investigation but you know that there is a lot more going on and will leave you guessing right until the end. I hope this book will turn out to be the first in a series featuring Harry Baker and Mel Daley.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mirror books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
The book then turns into a great read. It is quite a short book but very absorbing, with a good plot. It starts off as just a missing person investigation but you know that there is a lot more going on and will leave you guessing right until the end. I hope this book will turn out to be the first in a series featuring Harry Baker and Mel Daley.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mirror books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
December 2, 2017
I liked the idea of the story but really struggled to engage with the characters.
September 17, 2017
Great story and pacy read
Clever story that kept me turning the pages.
Horrifying to know there are some madmen in the world although thankfully very few.
Clever story that kept me turning the pages.
Horrifying to know there are some madmen in the world although thankfully very few.
December 15, 2017
Well, this did not work at all for me. The writing is really amateurish, made it hard to take the story seriously. The changes in POV were not well done and therefore confusing, and some of the dialogues made me cringe.
Also, I could not buy the initial plot; why would the police engage in this case with so little evidence? It was just an adult woman probably leaving at her own accord. All they had was the husband's very poor account of events to really think it was a disappearance worth of investigating. And not only they investigated but a whole team with forensics and all? It did not sound believable.
Then the story dragged on and on making any possibility of enjoyment die. I finished it because I had nothing else to read at the moment but even so it was a struggle. The end was not surprising and has been done many times before--and much better.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange of my honest review.
Also, I could not buy the initial plot; why would the police engage in this case with so little evidence? It was just an adult woman probably leaving at her own accord. All they had was the husband's very poor account of events to really think it was a disappearance worth of investigating. And not only they investigated but a whole team with forensics and all? It did not sound believable.
Then the story dragged on and on making any possibility of enjoyment die. I finished it because I had nothing else to read at the moment but even so it was a struggle. The end was not surprising and has been done many times before--and much better.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange of my honest review.
August 2, 2019
Les éditions De Saxus est une jeune maison d’édition, créée en 2018. Je n'ai pour l’instant jamais été déçue par un de ses publications que ce soit dans le genre du polar ou de la romance. Losing Leah ne va pas échapper à cette règle. Je me suis vraiment régalée à la lecture de ce roman. L'intrigue est bien menée, elle démarre très vite. On est dans l’action dès les premières pages et la tension ne diminue pas tout le long des pages. L’histoire est vraiment très prenante.
Je ne vais pas trop revenir dessus, ce serait vraiment dommage de tout dévoiler et de gâcher le suspense. Comme je le disais plus haut, l’action démarre très vite et fort, puisque elle commence avec le mari, Chris Hills, qui cherche sa femme, Leah, dans les toilettes d'un endroit qu'on suppose public. On le voit s’inquiéter, appeler partout et alerter les secours pour signaler son absence. Très vite, la police va arriver sur les lieux. Tout s’est passé dans une station-service où le couple s’était arrêté pour faire une pause et boire un café. Ils se rendent dans leur maison de vacances. Ils sont rentrés tous les deux dans la cafétéria, et Leah a disparu après être allée aux toilettes. L’inspecteur et son sergent vont très vite démarrer l’interrogatoire du mari et commencer l’enquête. L’inspecteur émet très vite plusieurs hypothèses, soit Leah a disparu comme le raconte son mari, soit elle peut aussi n’être jamais venue avec lui. Les pistes sont nombreuses, certaines sont difficiles à suivre, faute d'indices valables. Une course contre la montre va ainsi avoir lieu, pour retrouver Leah en vie, l'est-elle seulement ? Les apparences peuvent parfois être trompeuses…
C’est un véritable sac de nœuds que va devoir démêler l’inspecteur Baker et son sergent Mel Daley. Ce jeu de piste va les mener dans différents endroits, dans la maison du couple, dans leur résidence de vacances, sur leurs lieux de travail respectifs. Au fur et à mesure, les indices s’accumulent. Et plus on avance dans l’histoire et plus on découvre de secrets sur chacun des personnages. Les doutes vont se porter sur plusieurs, on va découvrir avec effroi certaines vérités. La police, nous lecteurs, ne sommes pas au bout de nos surprises.
Les personnages sont bien travaillés. On assiste à l’interrogatoire du mari, Chris Hills, complètement paniqué, il décrit sa femme comme quelqu’un de fragile, dépendante de lui, ne sachant pas se débrouiller seule. L'inspecteur sait garder son calme et ne rien montrer. Le sergent Daley est plus empathique et est touchée par l’histoire de Leah. Je me suis très vite attachée à elle. Il faut dire que le choix narratif de l'auteure y est pour beaucoup dans ce sentiment puisque tout est raconté à la première personne du singulier. Ce « je » représente Mel Daley et permet d’être au plus près de ce qu’elle pense et ressent. Cela permet aussi de vivre l’enquête de l’intérieur et le plus proche de ce que peuvent vivre les personnages.
L’enquête est bien menée, avec ce qu’il faut d'informations, distillées et révélées au fur et à mesure. Ce qui, vous le comprendrez, rend la lecture prenante. Je ne voulais pas lâcher le livre avant de savoir ce qui était arrivé, si Leah était encore vivante ou non. Et Sue Welfare a su me mener vers des chemins insoupçonnés. Je ne m’attendais pas à certains faits, qui bouleversent ce que je pouvais penser de l’enquête et des personnages. Le bon style de l'auteure, la fluidité de son écriture, le juste dosage entre les descriptions et l'action rendent la lecture captivante et prenante.
Et le tout est plongé dans une atmosphère très british, avec comme décor la campagne et la ville anglaises. J'aime vraiment beaucoup cette ambiance avec le flegme britannique, avec beaucoup de sobriété dans les actions. Pas d’hémoglobine ou de sang qui gicle partout comme ça peut-être le cas dans les polars américains. Ici, c’est plus finement dosé, beaucoup plus pudique et laissé à l'imagination du lecteur. Pourtant, au vu des faits, l'auteure aurait pu déborder vers le sanglant. J'ai apprécié que ce ne soit pas le cas. Les révélations finales m'ont laissée sur les fesses. Je ne m’attendais pas du tout à cela.
J'ai passé un très bon moment avec ce roman. Je suis allée de surprises en rebondissements avec des retournements de situation que je n'ai pas vus arriver. J'aime être surprise par ma lecture, mais j'aime aussi quand c’est fait finement et sans grosses ficelles comme il peut y avoir dans certains romans où on devine tout avant la fin. Là, non. Je me suis laissée porter par l’histoire et n'ai rien vu venir.
Je ne connaissais pas du tout Sue Welfare, même de nom, et pourtant, selon sa biographie, c’est une auteure à succès puisqu'elle a écrit plus de trente livres. Je note donc son nom et vais suivre ses prochaines parutions, c’est une auteure que je prendrai plaisir à lire à nouveau.
Je ne peux que vous conseiller ce roman, si vous avez envie d'une lecture prenante, qui vous distrait et vous sorte de vos tracas, n’hésitez pas à découvrir Losing Leah.
Je ne vais pas trop revenir dessus, ce serait vraiment dommage de tout dévoiler et de gâcher le suspense. Comme je le disais plus haut, l’action démarre très vite et fort, puisque elle commence avec le mari, Chris Hills, qui cherche sa femme, Leah, dans les toilettes d'un endroit qu'on suppose public. On le voit s’inquiéter, appeler partout et alerter les secours pour signaler son absence. Très vite, la police va arriver sur les lieux. Tout s’est passé dans une station-service où le couple s’était arrêté pour faire une pause et boire un café. Ils se rendent dans leur maison de vacances. Ils sont rentrés tous les deux dans la cafétéria, et Leah a disparu après être allée aux toilettes. L’inspecteur et son sergent vont très vite démarrer l’interrogatoire du mari et commencer l’enquête. L’inspecteur émet très vite plusieurs hypothèses, soit Leah a disparu comme le raconte son mari, soit elle peut aussi n’être jamais venue avec lui. Les pistes sont nombreuses, certaines sont difficiles à suivre, faute d'indices valables. Une course contre la montre va ainsi avoir lieu, pour retrouver Leah en vie, l'est-elle seulement ? Les apparences peuvent parfois être trompeuses…
C’est un véritable sac de nœuds que va devoir démêler l’inspecteur Baker et son sergent Mel Daley. Ce jeu de piste va les mener dans différents endroits, dans la maison du couple, dans leur résidence de vacances, sur leurs lieux de travail respectifs. Au fur et à mesure, les indices s’accumulent. Et plus on avance dans l’histoire et plus on découvre de secrets sur chacun des personnages. Les doutes vont se porter sur plusieurs, on va découvrir avec effroi certaines vérités. La police, nous lecteurs, ne sommes pas au bout de nos surprises.
Les personnages sont bien travaillés. On assiste à l’interrogatoire du mari, Chris Hills, complètement paniqué, il décrit sa femme comme quelqu’un de fragile, dépendante de lui, ne sachant pas se débrouiller seule. L'inspecteur sait garder son calme et ne rien montrer. Le sergent Daley est plus empathique et est touchée par l’histoire de Leah. Je me suis très vite attachée à elle. Il faut dire que le choix narratif de l'auteure y est pour beaucoup dans ce sentiment puisque tout est raconté à la première personne du singulier. Ce « je » représente Mel Daley et permet d’être au plus près de ce qu’elle pense et ressent. Cela permet aussi de vivre l’enquête de l’intérieur et le plus proche de ce que peuvent vivre les personnages.
L’enquête est bien menée, avec ce qu’il faut d'informations, distillées et révélées au fur et à mesure. Ce qui, vous le comprendrez, rend la lecture prenante. Je ne voulais pas lâcher le livre avant de savoir ce qui était arrivé, si Leah était encore vivante ou non. Et Sue Welfare a su me mener vers des chemins insoupçonnés. Je ne m’attendais pas à certains faits, qui bouleversent ce que je pouvais penser de l’enquête et des personnages. Le bon style de l'auteure, la fluidité de son écriture, le juste dosage entre les descriptions et l'action rendent la lecture captivante et prenante.
Et le tout est plongé dans une atmosphère très british, avec comme décor la campagne et la ville anglaises. J'aime vraiment beaucoup cette ambiance avec le flegme britannique, avec beaucoup de sobriété dans les actions. Pas d’hémoglobine ou de sang qui gicle partout comme ça peut-être le cas dans les polars américains. Ici, c’est plus finement dosé, beaucoup plus pudique et laissé à l'imagination du lecteur. Pourtant, au vu des faits, l'auteure aurait pu déborder vers le sanglant. J'ai apprécié que ce ne soit pas le cas. Les révélations finales m'ont laissée sur les fesses. Je ne m’attendais pas du tout à cela.
J'ai passé un très bon moment avec ce roman. Je suis allée de surprises en rebondissements avec des retournements de situation que je n'ai pas vus arriver. J'aime être surprise par ma lecture, mais j'aime aussi quand c’est fait finement et sans grosses ficelles comme il peut y avoir dans certains romans où on devine tout avant la fin. Là, non. Je me suis laissée porter par l’histoire et n'ai rien vu venir.
Je ne connaissais pas du tout Sue Welfare, même de nom, et pourtant, selon sa biographie, c’est une auteure à succès puisqu'elle a écrit plus de trente livres. Je note donc son nom et vais suivre ses prochaines parutions, c’est une auteure que je prendrai plaisir à lire à nouveau.
Je ne peux que vous conseiller ce roman, si vous avez envie d'une lecture prenante, qui vous distrait et vous sorte de vos tracas, n’hésitez pas à découvrir Losing Leah.
January 17, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publishers, Mirror Books, for providing this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Early on a cold dark February morning, Chris and Leah Hills stop at a motorway service station just before the borders of Wales, on their way to their Welsh holiday cottage. Leah goes into the services and disappears. No one has seen her, and no one knows where she is. DS Mel Daley and her boss, DI Harry Baker turn up to investigate. Their search takes them to the desolate Riverside Cottage in Wales and all the way over to the East coast town of Denham Market near Norwich. Can they find out what happened to Leah Hills?
This was my first book by this author. I’ve never heard of her before which is a surprise considering how many books she has written!
This book was very cleverly written. I started off not expecting much if you want me to be honest. The blurb sounded interesting and I liked the fact that it was set in the UK. It began straight into the mystery with Chris Hills being found in the ladies toilets of a motorway service searching for his wife Leah. She had gone into the services whilst he was locking the car and had just disappeared. All very mysterious! As she was unable to be found, the police were called and DI Harry Baker and DS Mel Daley arrive to investigate. They both think that the couple had had a row and the wife had walked off, but I’m not sure if that would have made a good story so it’s obvious there is going to be a lot more to it.
The story is told alternatively from the perspective of Mel Daley and from a third person. Mel is obviously the main character of the story and she seems a very likeable character. She does have a separate side story going on with the mysterious Mr XXXXXX. I’m not sure whether this story was really needed as I didn’t really see where it was going, but I suppose it did show that Mel had a personal life and revealed a little bit more about the character. I love the relationship between Mel and her boss Harry Baker. He seems to view her as a valuable member of the team, and misses her input when he sends her over to Norwich to carry on the investigation there. Mel also comes across as a good police officer, knows her stuff and works well with others she comes across. She’s also like a ‘dog with a bone’ and, as it shows towards the end, won’t let up until all the loose ends have been tied.
Chris Hills’ character is a difficult one. Initially I found it hard to work out this character. His whole personality was just weird and creepy, but at times I almost felt sorry for him when he was obviously very distressed at the fact that his wife was missing. You just know though that there is something about him which stops you wanting to be on his side!
I really enjoyed this book, much more than I thought I would. As I began reading it, I started telling my husband little bits about the plot to see if he could guess what had happened to Leah. He’s partially sighted and usually listens to books rather than physically reading them, and he was enjoying my little snippets I kept feeding him that I ended up having to read it all to him! We both had our opinions as to what was happening, and they changed several times throughout the course of the book. I think we eventually worked it out towards the end, but was certainly not expecting the last few paragraphs. This is definitely one book you need to read right to the very last word.
I won’t say anything about the actual plot of the story for fear of spoilers, but the whole story was well thought out, well planned and very well researched. It held our attention from the first page and we have spent the last couple of hours sat here with me reading it out loud just to get to the end! For me, it was one of those books that hang around a little bit after you’ve finished them because it gets right into you. It did feel that it should be part of a series to follow on the story of DS Mel Daley. There’s nothing yet to say it is, but fingers crossed to there being another one!
A very gripping read, each chapter giving a cliff-hanger at the end tempting you to read just one more page!
Fab, Fab, Fab
Early on a cold dark February morning, Chris and Leah Hills stop at a motorway service station just before the borders of Wales, on their way to their Welsh holiday cottage. Leah goes into the services and disappears. No one has seen her, and no one knows where she is. DS Mel Daley and her boss, DI Harry Baker turn up to investigate. Their search takes them to the desolate Riverside Cottage in Wales and all the way over to the East coast town of Denham Market near Norwich. Can they find out what happened to Leah Hills?
This was my first book by this author. I’ve never heard of her before which is a surprise considering how many books she has written!
This book was very cleverly written. I started off not expecting much if you want me to be honest. The blurb sounded interesting and I liked the fact that it was set in the UK. It began straight into the mystery with Chris Hills being found in the ladies toilets of a motorway service searching for his wife Leah. She had gone into the services whilst he was locking the car and had just disappeared. All very mysterious! As she was unable to be found, the police were called and DI Harry Baker and DS Mel Daley arrive to investigate. They both think that the couple had had a row and the wife had walked off, but I’m not sure if that would have made a good story so it’s obvious there is going to be a lot more to it.
The story is told alternatively from the perspective of Mel Daley and from a third person. Mel is obviously the main character of the story and she seems a very likeable character. She does have a separate side story going on with the mysterious Mr XXXXXX. I’m not sure whether this story was really needed as I didn’t really see where it was going, but I suppose it did show that Mel had a personal life and revealed a little bit more about the character. I love the relationship between Mel and her boss Harry Baker. He seems to view her as a valuable member of the team, and misses her input when he sends her over to Norwich to carry on the investigation there. Mel also comes across as a good police officer, knows her stuff and works well with others she comes across. She’s also like a ‘dog with a bone’ and, as it shows towards the end, won’t let up until all the loose ends have been tied.
Chris Hills’ character is a difficult one. Initially I found it hard to work out this character. His whole personality was just weird and creepy, but at times I almost felt sorry for him when he was obviously very distressed at the fact that his wife was missing. You just know though that there is something about him which stops you wanting to be on his side!
I really enjoyed this book, much more than I thought I would. As I began reading it, I started telling my husband little bits about the plot to see if he could guess what had happened to Leah. He’s partially sighted and usually listens to books rather than physically reading them, and he was enjoying my little snippets I kept feeding him that I ended up having to read it all to him! We both had our opinions as to what was happening, and they changed several times throughout the course of the book. I think we eventually worked it out towards the end, but was certainly not expecting the last few paragraphs. This is definitely one book you need to read right to the very last word.
I won’t say anything about the actual plot of the story for fear of spoilers, but the whole story was well thought out, well planned and very well researched. It held our attention from the first page and we have spent the last couple of hours sat here with me reading it out loud just to get to the end! For me, it was one of those books that hang around a little bit after you’ve finished them because it gets right into you. It did feel that it should be part of a series to follow on the story of DS Mel Daley. There’s nothing yet to say it is, but fingers crossed to there being another one!
A very gripping read, each chapter giving a cliff-hanger at the end tempting you to read just one more page!
Fab, Fab, Fab
May 20, 2019
Avec Losing Leah, Sue Welfare m’a menée en bateau du début à la fin, je me suis faite berner en beauté de par les retournements et rebondissements. Mais attention, j’ai carrément adoré ne rien voir, ne rien comprendre, et puis ce final est juste phénoménal.
Si vous aimez les thrillers, mais pas les effusions de sang, ne cherchez plus, c’est le livre que vous recherchez ! Le genre thriller est un genre que j’adore lire, tout autant que regarder à la télé d’ailleurs, j’aime ressentir le frisson et l’adrénaline de la recherche, de la compréhension, de la recherche d’indices, mais je ne suis pas fan du sang qui gicle dans tout les coins, si je veux du sang je regarde un film d’horreur et non un thriller, il en va de même pour les livres. Sans être un coup de cœur, je trouve ce livre simplement parfait, je n’ai pas un seul mot négatif à dire sur ce que j’ai lu.
Les personnages sont travaillés, le côté psychologique est recherché, les événements et rebondissements sont bien amenés, l’intrigue est plus que bien ficelée, le rythme est excellent, le tout nous mène à un final génial. Je trouve que l’auteure a suivi un schéma que je qualifie de classique, mais qui fait franchement du bien quand je vois certains autres auteurs dont les intrigue finissent par partir dans tout les sens avec du sang en veux-tu en voilà. Le retour au « classique » fait un bien fou et j’ai d’autant plus apprécié ma lecture.
J’ai vécu cette enquête de l’intérieur et je n’en ressors pas totalement indemne, mais pour me comprendre, il faut que vous lisiez absolument ce thriller. Je ne connaissais pas du tout cette auteure, même pas de nom, je dois bien l’avouer, mais maintenant, je vais garder un œil sur ses futures parutions, cette intrigue fut un véritable régal pour moi. Un bonheur que d’avoir découvert cette plume faite pour emporter le lecteur dans des heures de lectures sans qu’il ne voit le temps défiler.
Si vous aimez les thrillers, mais pas les effusions de sang, ne cherchez plus, c’est le livre que vous recherchez ! Le genre thriller est un genre que j’adore lire, tout autant que regarder à la télé d’ailleurs, j’aime ressentir le frisson et l’adrénaline de la recherche, de la compréhension, de la recherche d’indices, mais je ne suis pas fan du sang qui gicle dans tout les coins, si je veux du sang je regarde un film d’horreur et non un thriller, il en va de même pour les livres. Sans être un coup de cœur, je trouve ce livre simplement parfait, je n’ai pas un seul mot négatif à dire sur ce que j’ai lu.
Les personnages sont travaillés, le côté psychologique est recherché, les événements et rebondissements sont bien amenés, l’intrigue est plus que bien ficelée, le rythme est excellent, le tout nous mène à un final génial. Je trouve que l’auteure a suivi un schéma que je qualifie de classique, mais qui fait franchement du bien quand je vois certains autres auteurs dont les intrigue finissent par partir dans tout les sens avec du sang en veux-tu en voilà. Le retour au « classique » fait un bien fou et j’ai d’autant plus apprécié ma lecture.
J’ai vécu cette enquête de l’intérieur et je n’en ressors pas totalement indemne, mais pour me comprendre, il faut que vous lisiez absolument ce thriller. Je ne connaissais pas du tout cette auteure, même pas de nom, je dois bien l’avouer, mais maintenant, je vais garder un œil sur ses futures parutions, cette intrigue fut un véritable régal pour moi. Un bonheur que d’avoir découvert cette plume faite pour emporter le lecteur dans des heures de lectures sans qu’il ne voit le temps défiler.
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