In 2015, 5 year old Ava Sawyer disappears from a birthday party and is never seen again. Two years later, a couple of girls who also attended the same birthday party begin to go missing. Are they related? Is it a random coincidence? DI Natalie Ward is on the case to uncover the answers to these questions and hopefully stop a serial child abductor before any other children go missing or get hurt.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s been a long time since I read a crime/murder mystery book, and this one reminds me exactly why I used to love this genre. It’s gripping and, for the most past, fast paced. I didn’t find it to be particularly predictable, either, which was very refreshing. I found myself taking the bait on almost every false lead that the author subtly put out there.

This book is very well written and has a great plot - what more could you ask for? I will definitely be looking out for more DI Natalie Ward books, and will probably go back and get caught up on this author’s other books while I patiently wait. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the crime thriller/murder mystery/cop drama genre.

The only warning I would give is that this books deals repeatedly with missing children and murdered children - nothing really graphic, but it bears noting in case this is a potential trigger issue.


*Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a free advance review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review is posted on GoodReads, my Facebook page, and will be posted to retailers like Amazon once it has been published.*

Many thanks to NetGallery, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read "The Birthday" by Carol Wyer. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is the first in a new series by author Carol Wyer. I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Detective Natalie Ward. The story revolved around children and let me tell you, if you have children you will definitely be on edge.
Fast paced with a well defined plot. If you are looking for a new police/detective series to get your interest, then this is the book for you.

On a summer’s afternoon 5 year old Ava Sawyer went to a birthday party. She never came home.
Detective Natalie Ward recently transferred takes on the case two years later when another child goes missing. She has her own nightmares of not been able to save a child. You are taken into the nightmare of a missing child and the helplessness felt by all around in not been able to bring that child back home. Two years later the story escalates someone is targeting the birthday party children. You are taken on the rollercoaster ride with Natalie to try and save the next innocent life. Could the unthinkable one of the parents be involved. This book is a definite page turner you will not want to put down and will keep you gripped on the edge of your seat.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read this author before and as soon as I saw that it was the first in a collection of detective novels, I was a little turned off. But my expectations were exceeded for sure.

This novel follows DI Natalie as she tries to solve who is abducting and murdering young girls in the area. The beginning started off a little slow and I feel it had just a tad too much about her personal life as a start. However, a couple chapters in it really picked up.

I have trouble finding mysteries I like that don't seem totally obvious early in the book. This was not one of those books. I thought it might be but it quickly turned into a thick plot with many, many suspects, like... everyone. I read it in 2 days, picking it up any free moment I had. And here I am at midnight, having stayed up to finish it because I couldn't go to bed not knowing the ending!

Would I recommend this book? Yes. Maybe I wouldn't like to read the same type of story every day but if you want a break from your normal routine, pick it up. And as an added bonus, if you love British procedural television, you'll love this!

The Birthday introduces us to a new team of detectives and their families by this great author. I do love Carol’s work, so was delighted to read this ARC. The main character Natalie has recently moved to this station after a murder of a child that shook her confidence. Her family seem to be neither use nor ornament, especially the husband, and are not supportive of her at all. She battles on with this horrendous case of children going missing and ending up dead. The pressure is on and can she find out who the perpetrator is before it’s too late?

I, for one, read loads and loads of crime books, but this one really had me flummoxed 😶 I honestly didn’t work out who it was all. I thought, “I’ll go to the bottom of our stairs”, I was genuinely amazed!! This shows how skilled Carol is. I hope there’s more in this series as I think the characters will develop over time.

My thanks to Carol, the publishers and netgalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this novel. The pacing was very good. The characters were interesting. I liked how it was fast paced, but in a way that still made sense and filled the reader in on what's going on. I never felt out of the loop or confused. Natalie is a detective trying to solve a string of murders, and the book takes several twists and turns. Even though I figured out the ending pretty early on, I didn't feel cheated by that. There were enough twists and turns to keep me involved until the very end.

I just loved this book! The first in the Natalie Ward series. The story was riveting and I really felt for the characters and their struggles. I look forward to reading further adventures from this lot. I’m now itching to read the Robyn Carter series. Well done Carol Wyer!

I’m not sure about you but I can always tell how much I enjoy a book by how many excuses I come up with to get out of doing things just so I can carry on reading, I came up with a few ingenious ones whilst reading The Birthday by Carol Wyer let me tell you! This is the first book in a new crime series featuring Detective Natalie Ward. The story starts with little Ava going missing during a birthday party. Two years later, her body is found and Natalie Ward finds herself leading an investigation that is both disturbing and emotionally draining. All the subject isn’t an original one by any means, the author makes it her own with a nail biting story line.

Full review to follow once posted to my blog

I received a free e-copy of The Birthday by Carol Wyer from NetGalley for my honest review.

An intense, heart pounding, edge of your seat thriller that had me pulled in from the very first page. A little girl at a birthday party, who is wearing a yellow dress is missing. Two years later they find the little girl but now other girls that were at the same birthday party are turning up dead. The original investigating officer in the case retired, so the the case falls to DI Natalie Ward. DI Natalie Ward is determined to find the killer. Highly recommend this book.

Well, Carol has done it again with another gripping story. I particularly like the way this author writes and I found this to be an excellent page turner which keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I look forward to Carol's next book and can thoroughly recommend this.

Well what a start to a new series, different style of writing to the authors Robyn Carter series; whereas Robyn Carter holds your attention like being held hostage with a knife at your throat Natalie Ward is more like suddenly having a cold bony hand touch you in the dark when you thought you were alone.....chilling.
In many ways this series follows the crime series of Robyn Carter that I have enjoyed, a police detective with issues both at home and at work leading a team of detectives with back stories of their own all attempting to catch a killer on the loose. However this is where the similarities end for me. The style of case involving children this time around gave this book a more chilling and suspenseful feel. Not a book for the summer holidays while kids are wanting to run free, if you are mum reading this book you will want to know where your children are at every moment of the day.
I enjoyed the backstory laid out for Natalie Ward and will be interesting to see how that twists and turns in the future books, though basic background was given on some other team members I can't say I feel I know them quite as well yet but it's always interesting to see characters build from the first book.
The case in this book involved children in the present and killer backstory in the past in sections which gave you insight into the mind of the killer and why they were doing the crimes in the present day.

it's a fun birthday party. Games, riding horses, petting animals. Who would have known that a little girl would disappear. Years later when a new building is being put up her body is discovered. Then the real horror begins. The girls that had been at that birthday party are being murdered. The weird thing is that they are all found wearing yellow dresses. Now the officer in charge of the investigation of the first missing child, his daughter is missing. Time is running out for the investigators. They must hurry, or another young girl may die.
I enjoyed this book. You can feel the frustration of the team as they do the investigation. Definitely riveting! Must read!

The Birthday
Carol Wyer has done it again, created a thriller that once you start reading you won’t want to stop.
This is the first in the new series of DI Natalie Ward and it was a great introduction. She is a good detective but flawed in her personal life, it made a change that the female DI is married with children as it throws some other dynamics into the mix because she can’t just drop her family completely to solve a case. However she has the added guilt that her husband is having to deal with the children.
We also find out a little history about Natalie in that an unsolved case hangs heavily over her. I’m wondering whether this thread will follow through the series and maybe one day she will get to solve it.
The storyline is very upsetting and chilling as it involves young girls being preyed on by a serial killer.
The writing is once again fast paced and takes the reader on a time sensitive journey as the killer must be caught.
This will have your heart racing as the adrenaline courses through your veins wondering whether this time she will catch him.
Another excellent read by Carol Wyer.

Thanks to NetGalley, Carol Wyer, and Bookouture for the chance to read this book before it hits shelves later in exchange for and honest review. This book was so good. I like the way that it had the past and present involved in all the book, also how it told the POV from each of the girls. I was shocked to see who it was, I wont lie I had my mind set on the family liaison officer, just because she gave me a creepy vibe, but I was wrong. I didn't really see it coming. I liked how you got to see the life of Natalie too, I mean I didn't like her husband at all and at the same time I could kinda see where he was coming from but that still didn't mean I liked him any. I was glad to see that she turned away from the text at the end of the book too. I really liked that the book in real time only lasted 6 days but I felt like a lifetime when there are kids involved. This was a great book and I look forward to reading more from her!

I thought this was a cracking book.I really enjoyed it, the main characters and even some of the peripheral ones were really well written, and believable.There were more red herrings than your average fish shop has, and I had no idea who did what until near the end of the book. I love books that keep me guessing and that you get caught up with when you are reading,the tension was palpable and really made this an exciting read for me.I can't wait to read more in this series and really recommend this book.thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for an ARC.

Wow, what can I say, I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read any of this author's prior works but I will now and anxiously await the next book in this series. I couldn't put this book down and finished it in one day!

"Her hair was standing up from running her hands through it and her mascara was smudged" but still DI Natalie Ward stuck to the theory of not assuming anything and investigating all the angles on the disturbing and upsetting case she is working. Following the discovery of the body of a child who disappeared after a party two years ago, two more little girls have been murdered and a third is missing. Natalie was involved in a previous case where assumptions were made and a girl died. This time she is determined to get it right.

This is a good fast paced police procedural, the first in a new series featuring DI Natalie Ward, a working mother struggling with the demands of her job and balancing that with the needs of her family. We learnt much about her and the members of her team in this book but I look forward to getting to know them in the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

This beauty marks the start of the DI Natalie Ward series, and has all the promise of a rollicking rollercoaster ride as her story unfolds. As a hardworking mother, and breadwinner in the family, DI Ward is a character that I’m sure many will be able to relate to. She’s strong, dedicated, hella persistent and even a little fickle but she’s written in such a way that you can’t help but feel for her and her family.

I enjoyed the tension created through the juxtaposition of Natalie’s disastrous home life against a chilling cold case and obvious serial killer. Given the sacrifices that Natalie is making to keep her family together and children provided for, the fact that the killer is taking young girls only adds to the horror. Her fear and anxiety as both an officer and a mother is expertly transmitted, and as a result the plot moves along at a break-neck speed.

Surprisingly, I ended up really feeling for Elsa, the garden centre owner despite the outward appearances of avoiding the case. I couldn’t imagine living with the guilt of a child going missing while under your care. The damage to her business was realistic and expected, but in the aftermath of what happened at the hands of her friends and the community I couldn’t help but getting really angry. It simply goes to show how guilt can be misconstrued as guilty, and how fickle people can be.

The supporting cast of other officers and possible suspects was just as intriguing. Everyone from the dance teacher to the school staff, and from the forensics team to the pathologist was wonderfully balanced. There was a reasonable mix of personalities and character types, and their appearances were made in such a way that while these characters were familiar they never felt overly type-cast.

Finally, the writing was exceptional as well. While Wyer tackles some incredibly heavy subjects – adultery, missing and murdered children, addiction, etc. – the lexile used throughout remains realistic and approachable to the masses. While there are certainly some scientific terms bandied about, they are always accompanied by dialogue or description that translates though terms and concepts into the language of the lay-person. As a result, I found that the book was highly approachable.

Would I recommend it? All 4.5 stars of it, you bet! I can’t wait to see where this series will go next as Wyer has laid the foundation for some exciting storylines to develop. I can’t wait to see what case the team will take on next and how DI Ward will handle her husband’s gambling addictions. This book is dark, twisty, and wonderfully gripping – lovers of police procedurals and crime thrillers you won’t be disappointed!

Two years ago, Ava wore a yellow dress to attend a classmate's birthday party. She was a bit of a dramatic child, so the kids did not think much of it when she broke the rules to go to the restroom by herself.. But she never came back. Search parties were formed, police were brought in, but they never found her or her body. Now, another little girl has gone missing- and the weird thing is, she was also at that same birthday party. When a third girl from the party disappears, DI Natalie Ward knows she's got something sinister on her hands. She and her team have to work quickly to figure this one out before something happens to more of the little girls.
I thought this story was well paced, and appreciated being walked through the process as Natalie and her team reviewed lead after lead and suspect after suspect. There were just enough clues given to the reader, and i liked the little twist at the end. I also liked how we were given glimpses into their personal lives. It will be interesting to see how the detectives balance work and home in future books. This was my first by this author, but i'd like to read more.
thanks Ms Wyer, Netgalley, and Bookouture for the ARC.

A very entertaining read!

The story starts with little Ava going missing during a birthday party. 2 years later, her body is found and this triggers a whole avalanche of actions.
Little girls go missing and turn up dead and DI Natalie has no idea what is going on. She is being plagued by guilt from an earlier case that went wrong and struggles with balancing her work life with her home life.

The story flowed beautifully and I was not expecting who the bad guy was. A great read!