The third book in the Crimson Lake series, which reads well as a standalone book, features the hunt for a missing child.

Ted, a former detective with a nightmare past, and his partner Amanda are the only ones likely to find the answers but everything is a constant battle, as they face conflict both internal and external before they can solve the mystery.

Ted and Amanda are clever and haunted, you empathise with them because of the past and continuing injustice the endured. It is their current mindset that makes them willing to take risks to get to the truth. Both their personal lives seem more optimistic at the end of this book, but you’re left wondering whether they can ever rebuild their emotional lives.

An atmospheric plot and setting are intrinsic to this intense crime, mystery thriller. It’s like working out a route in a maze. How did the boy disappear? Has he run away or been abducted? If so, who took him? Is he still alive? The plot unwinds with multiple possible outcomes and a multitude of probable suspects. The final twist is exciting and menacing with a surprising ending, worthy of this well- thought out story.

I received an electronic advanced reading copy from Random House UK Cornerstone- Century via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an incredible read, and despite it appearing to be a very early galley copy in that every paragraph or part paragraph was repeated in broken down parts, 2, 3 or even 4 times, eventually leaving you with a final acceptable one that I guess the author and the publisher were happy with. So you had a lot more hard work to get through all these constant repeats, on every page, but it had to be done to continue with the story. So this is where the brilliance of the story comes through, that despite the copy being all over the place, and you got lost with not knowing who's dialogue it was or how an odd sentence repeated and repeated, belonged to any part of that particular scene or even who was speaking those words.. I could do nothing but keep going as I totally love it. Ted was a wonderful character, I could picture him exactly, adorned with long, curly hair, inherited by his gorgeous three year old daughter, Lillian, who really was the epitome of a three year old, I have one of those myself and she was spot on. I visualised her playing with the geese underneath the hose pipe spray so vividly. The end was a perfect denouement, I never saw that coming. What we need here is a follow up with the same characters then I'd be happy. I loved this book from beginning to end. I started loving Ted when he took Peeper to the vet, you could feel his emotion and love for the goose, and the characterisation of Celine, his devoted dog was perfect. More please.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Four young boys have been left unattended in a hotel room while the group of parents go out for dinner, one boy, Ritchie goes missing.
The police are called and an extensive search of the hotel takes place, Ritchie is nowhere to be found. There. Is CCTV at all exits of the hotel but Ritchie is not seen leaving at any time.
The missing boys mother hires two private detectives, Ted and Amanda, both of them have unusual histories, Ted a falsely accused paedophile and Amanda a convicted murderer.
The maintenance man is a prime suspect and then he also disappears.
The story does move along slowly, I found not only most of the characters but the plot and especially the ending all to be rather unbelievable.
This is the 3rd book in a series and I have not read the first two.

Gone by Midnight by Candace Fox is a 5 star read.
This book was brilliantly written, the characters were well developed and each individually made the story a great read. I’ve never read this author before but I certainly will be now.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book the Netgalley.

The third instalment of the Crimson Lake series sees private investigators Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell take on the disappearance of a young boy from a hotel room. Three other boys were in the room at the time but didn't see what happened and all the parents were together having a meal in the hotel restaurant. Meanwhile, Amanda faces further repercussions from the previous case and Ted's toddler daughter comes to stay with him.

I've read the first two in the series and I enjoyed this third book. It had a plot that kept me engaged with reading it, there were a few red herrings and lots of twists and turns. I just wished I didn't find Amanda quite so tiresome as I do.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Random House UK / Cornerstone, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Gone by Midnight is the third instalment in the Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell Crimson Lake series, and it's another thoroughly enjoyable thriller. The combination of brisk pacing, excellent characterisation and a stellar plot make this a single-sitting page-turner; once you begin putting it down is not an option. This is an interesting and evocative story of a missing child; hardly original I know, but it is very well done. There are some great, unexpected developments and surprises in the self-contained plot of this book and the ongoing minor/sub-plots in which the recurring characters are the focus help them to grow and evolve as people as well as investigators.

This partnership is one of my favourites of the crime couplings out there, and this is mainly due to Amanda being socially inept. She is unintentionally hilarious, which I love. We all know someone like that who is anxious in social situations and blurts out the wrong thing or something accidentally offensive and causes embarrassment not only to themselves but those associated with them too. Amanda takes no crap off anyone and knows how to stand up for herself. I really enjoyed the satisfying conclusion too; it was a great way to close. I look forward to the next instalment and hope it's even better than the preceding three. Highly recommended. This is almost certainly on its way to the bestsellers lists.

Many thanks to Century for an ARC.

A boy disappears from a hotel room. His mother calls in discraced ex-cop turned investigator Ted Concaffey. He is joined by eccentric fellow private investigator Amanda Pharrell, who is said to have a murderous past.

The third book in the Crimson Lake series, this is a crackling Australian detective story with great characterisation. A thoroughly entertaining read. Well paced. The book has something special about it.

I did find that I had to suspend disbelief at times, both about the two protagonists back stories and about some of the plot lines. This didn't in any way dent my enjoyment though!

Strongly recommended.

A heart warming murder mystery detective novel, a part of the . Crimson Lake series. Great characters with a well defined plot and many twists and turns, so many suspects. I loved Amanda - a total oddball but very likeable the fact that the policed the were against her and caused her problems added to me liking her for simply getting on with her life.. I wanted Ted to resolve his past history. The addition of the geese.and the dog were wonderful and made the story so much more realistic. I found that it was a slow start but I could not put the book down after I was a way in as I just had to find out who did take the boy.
I have to say that the developments were totally unrealistic almost to the point of absurdity.

Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox is the third novel in a series of crime and detective books called the Crimson Lake series. I didn’t realise this before reading but in my opinion, the book functions well as a standalone too.

Reminiscent of the infamous Madeleine McCann case, a child goes missing from a hotel. The child’s parents insisted they checked the room regularly, to check all was well, whilst dining at a nearby restaurant.

Gone by Midnight is set in Queensland, Australia. I enjoyed this because I don’t think I’ve ever read a book set in Australia before, and there were dramatic scenes involving a crocodile or two (of course) which was a fun addition to the narrative.

On the whole, the book was gripping. I genuinely didn’t know what had happened to the missing child or who was to blame, and I was keen to find out.

I thought Ted Conkaffey, the investigator, dealt well with the situation and the discussion of clues and possibilities was informative and realistic. However, Conkaffey is an unusual character because, although is a privately hired investigator to uncover the mystery behind the child’s disappearance, Conkaffey is also a falsely accused paedophile. I don’t think it’s the best decision for one’s public image to get involved with a missing child case.

Conkaffey’s sidekick, Amanda Pharrell is a convicted murderer, and is another character whose involvement in this case looks potentially dodgy. I thought Amanda rode a very fine line between being different for the sake of being different and “cool”, and deliberately irritating and dislikeable. Personally, I didn’t find her wacky attitude or her darkly comic one-liners particularly entertaining.

Overall, I think I enjoyed the story of Gone by Midnight more than the specific characters. The climax of the novel had a really exciting build-up, and this was probably my favourite section of the entire book.

While I enjoyed Candice Fox’s ‘Redemption Point’, her second novel featuring Queensland PIs, Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell, I struggled to relate to Conkaffey, his every action informed by a false accusation of child abduction to the extent that it slowed the plot. Conversely, Amanda, convicted of a murder she did commit, albeit accidentally, was a whirling dervish, a ball of energy with no social graces who offended all around her while displaying almost Holmesian deductive skills.
‘Gone By Midnight’, the third in the series, is a tighter novel, fast-moving and with fewer flaws. Ted Conkaffey, perhaps due to the presence of his infant daughter who is staying with him for the first time since his fall from grace caused the breakup of his marriage, is a much more sympathetic character. His anger, and shame, at those who still suspect him despite his no longer being a ‘person of interest’, and his love for his daughter, drives him as he and Amanda try to locate an eight-year-old boy who has disappeared from a local hotel.
Amanda remains a thoroughly entertaining character. She ‘hates’ children, shows little empathy for the missing boy or his parents, sees the boy’s disappearance as a competition the winner of which is rewarded with a cake, and makes friends with a criminal biker gang while making enemies within the police force.
‘Gone By Midnight’ is a more complete and confident novel than ‘Redemption Point’. The mystery is intriguing and entertaining, the characters more fully realised, the dialogue sharp and I look forward to the next in the series.

This is a really good book. The plot has been well thought out and I liked the ongoing story of the characters. The plot is intriguing and different from anything else I have read. The story was not what I was expecting it to be which was great. I like to read thrillers where I have not guessed the plot. This series is definitely worth reading. I hope there are more books to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

From the first page it’s clear why the author has won previous awards this book grabs you in it’s well written , taunt pages. Take a story that demands all your attention, add a duo of scarred and tormented investigators, put a big dollop of intrigue and mystery and you have a gripping compulsive read. Although this is the third in the series it’s easy enough to enjoy it as a stand alone book.

The mother of the missing boy distrusting of local law hires Ex-cop Ted Conkaffey and his partner Amanda in the hopes they can do what the cops can’t . As the duo track down leads and dismiss red herrings the story becomes more and more twisted. The duo are both trying to put their past behind them. Unfortunately it won’t let them and whispers of it becomes screams in different parts of the story.

The author keeps the story racing along with many twists that are there to lead you to a fantastically unexpected finale. A finale that is delivered with well accomplished panache. Brilliant just brilliant in my own opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read it.

A good book. I'd read one with a similar premise a couple of years back that I didn''t enjoy, but was keen to try something similar that I hoped would be better. This was! It's intriguing from the very opening chapters, and well written. Full of suspense and surprise.

Gone by Midnight, is the third in the Crimson Lake series by Candice Fox.

Thank you to Century publishing for sending me a shiny hardback copy of this to review. And also NetGalley for letting me have a kindle version, all in the same week!

This was fantastic. I have recently read the second in the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. So when I knew this was coming, I was very excited.

What is it about? Ted and Amanda run a private investigation firm in Crimson Lake, Australia. They are an odd duo, drawn together because of their shared experiences on the outside of the law. Amanda is a convicted murderer, and Ted is an accused paedophile. They are hired by the mother of a missing boy, to find him and keep her updated on the case, as she believes the police are focusing too much on her and she wants someone out there looking for her son.

Richie went missing from a hotel room, in which he was apparently playing with three of his friends, around midnight on the second night of his holiday. With the 7 parents in close proximity, hourly checks on the boys and secutiy cameras all over the hotel, how could he have just vanished, when Sara goes to check on them at midnight?

We follow Ted and Amanda trying to find the boy and whoever has taken him. There were so many things I loved about this book.

First off I love the main characters. We have had enough time in the previous books to get to know them well, and with each installment we find out something new about them, something else to endear us to them. For all her crazy habits and tics, Amanda is just such a loveable rogue - we all need someone as straight talking as her on our side. In this story we get to see much more of Lillian - Ted's estranged daughter. We see another, more gentle, sensitive side to Ted in his interactions with her, and the way he feels about her and the whole situation he find himself in, being an accused baddie.

Another of the things I love about this, is the descriptions of the Australian rainforest and the area in which Ted lives. It is so well painted for us, it feels like we are there, in the humid, hot swamps of Cairns.

The pace is just right here, with action all the way through. The ending was superb, nicely tied up. I enjoyed the side story of Joanna and Amanda. And Superfish is just adorable! I want one of him.

Main star of the show, is of course Ted's family of geese - Mother being the head of the gang. They are great as a back story and make up a lot of Ted's personality.

I liked the introduction of Laney, and I hope to see more of her in the next installment. Not overly keen on Kelly, she should have stuck by her man. Although, that's a whole other debate.

Overall, 5 well deserved stars! Excellent, I would recommend to all.

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I didn't realise that this was part of a series of books, the third installment. I don't know if it mattered for detail as I haven't read the others.

It's an interesting premise for a crime novel, with plenty of twists and turns in the plot. Nearing the end, I got interested again, but the middle meandered a little too much for my liking, with far too many red herrings.

The book felt like the story plan had been well thought out, but the execution was rushed and resulted in unbelievable characters, and scenarios where there was no suspension of disbelief.

And the ending, well it almost came from nowhere and bore little connection to the rest of the narrative.

I started reading this without realising it was part of the Crimson Lake series so at the first mention of geese I got a bit excited. Ted and Amanda are a partnership like no other but it definitely works well. This is a good solid read on its own and a great addition to the series and I hope there’s more to come.

Four young boys are left together in their hotel room whilst their parents are eating in the hotel restaurent. Sara checks on the children at midnight but her son is missing. She calls in ex-cop Ted Conkaffey to help find her son. He calls his partner Amanda to help him solve the case. Brilliant from start to finish. The author draws you into the world of the characters, Ted's past and how is now an ex-cop. Why the police don't like Amanda. And then Sara, is she hiding something. Plenty of twists and turns and sub plots really recommend, great book.

This is the third book in the series, I haven’t read the others but there was plenty of explanation so it really didn’t matter.
A group of young boys are left in a hotel room whilst their parents dine downstairs, they are checked on regularly but when the parents get back, one is missing and the others have no idea where he is.
Everything suggests that no one left the room or the hotel, so what’s happened to him?
The case is investigated by Ted and Amanda, a very intriguing pair!
Quite different to other detective novels I’ve read and that’s what makes it so enjoyable.

Rating: 4.5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! It took a while to get through because I was so busy, and normally I would have lost interest in a book after taking so long to read it, but I kept coming back. I didn't realise that this was the third book in a series until about half way through, but it didn't affect my understanding of what was happening at all, though I probably won't go back and read the other 2 books, just because the author explained the situations in this book.

I was very intrigued by Ted's character, and Fox did an excellent job of expressing his feelings and thought-processes. Amanda took a little getting used to for me, but I did end up loving her character, and she brought a little flair to the book.

I wouldn't say that the book was predictable, I did have a few thoughts about what was going to happen, and Fox had a good couple of red herrings in there to throw you off, and in the end I was surprised with the ending. Normally in these sorts of books the endings can be quite morbid but I really enjoyed the closure of this book. The only thing I would say is I did feel the ending was a little out of nowhere, though in the beginning there were references to the 'killer' but they didn't pop up again throughout the book, so when it was revealed it felt a little unexpected. Which I guess in some ways are good for a mystery ending!

Thank you for net galley for an early copy of this book.

I would recommend if you are a fan of mystery/thriller books!

A good read for fans of mystery detective novels.
The main character solving the crime has a somewhat complicated history that helps to make this a touch different to similiar books. The plot seemed credible and the reasons for the disappearance of the child believable but I did have a problem with the, what seemed to me, all too convenient appearance of the crocodile towards the end.
Generally though a reasonably engaging mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for this copy in exchange for an honest review.