A really good book with a different perspective to the general police procedural as a lot comes from an analysts point of view. Sad and shocking this is a really thrilling book. #NetGalley#WhenILostYou

I enjoyed this book but did find it slightly confusing at times. All in all though it’s worth a read & I would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of book.

A story spanning 35 years about the damage done to young girls- who feel unloved - by predatory men. If they survive then what has happened is written into their core, and who knows what will trigger it again.

A sad book, which felt real.

This is a book with great potential. Overall I found it a gripping read with an unusual angle but as so many of us pick up our reading in between busy lives I do believe that more attention could be paid to the way the chapters, dialogue and intros to each change of scene are dealt with. It was so confusing at times and I found myself rereading and going back over chapters to check out who I was hearing from now. If I had had the opportunity to read this in one sitting then I can appreciate that it would have worked better but that is just not realistic for most of us readers.

A baby is found dead and pathologist Eve insists that the mother is guilty even before she does her examination of the body, despite the apparent lack of evidence. Then someone writes an accusing letter to her reminding her that she has done this before and accused innocent women of harming their babies. Her husband shows the police this letter and they start to investigate. What they uncover is a tale of children's homes and abuse and two young girls who care for each other in an uncaring world.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as I thought I would. For me the best part was learning about what a crime analyst does and I found the character of Carla quite sympathetic. Other characters though didn't seem to come to life. I guessed what was going on very early on and found it so unlikely that I lost a little patience with the book.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Over all a good crime novel. Loved the twists and turns. Although I found some of the dialogue abit on the confusing side. Still a good read.

An intriguing story line, with a sometimes confusing plot, but all is revealed and with a stunning ending. Hopefully more to come from this Oxford team. Well recommended

Took some getting into sorting out the characters but enjoyed it after the first few chapters. Was very twisty and kept going back in time to the two girls living in a children's care home. Would definitely read more by this author.

I think it’s great when you get a chance to try out a new author and thanks to NetGalley I received a copy of When I Lost You to review. The blurb sounded great and is an accurate clue at the story. Primarily based around a cluster of police detectives and a civilian analyst this has a great mix of characters, a very unusual but gripping storyline and is very well written making it a very enjoyable read. I did guess how the story was going but I’m glad to say it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book and there were still plenty of twists on the way. Some elements of the story are quite disturbing however they explain so much about how the situation occurred that they’re a vital part. Overall this is a great page turner.

Took me a little while to work out the details of this book, but I loved it! Two girls are taken into care following abuse at home and are befriended by a local cafe owner who grooms and sexually abuses them both. One of them becomes pregnant and is killed, while the other has to live with the guilt and blames herself for not having done more. In the present day, a mother is apparently falsely accused of murdering her baby by a forensic pathologist. Letters soon start arriving accusing the pathologist of falsifying reports in order to ensure the conviction of the mother in several other cases. Full of twists and turns, this book kept me guessing right to the end.

A really interesting story but occasionally quite confusing, I enjoyed it nevertheless and would recommend to fans of twisty tales and police procedurals!

Really enjoyed this book, plenty of twists and turns. The plot was good and easy to follow. It is one of those books that you want to keep reading to find out the ending. Gripped from start to end.

Brilliant story really enjoyed it all the twists and turns kept me reading into the early hours loved the characters especially Carla. I would never have guessed the ending in a million years such a good plot and easy to follow would definitely recommend this book can’t wait to read more of this author.

I enjoyed the book but I shouldn't have started it with a house full of guests as it needs every bit of your concentration. It took me much longer to read than normal probably because of the different time periods and lots of different names to remember. It is well written and I'm glad I persevered with it although I have to say it's not been one of my best or favorite reads.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers Random House UK for the ARC.

Well written with great dialogue but I got SO confused to be honest. The characters got muddled, names flown around everywhere constantly, I never quite knew where I was with it.

This book is not yo be taken lightly, it's not a 'pick up & put down' book by any means, concentration is most definitely needed!

The central storyline is dealt with remarkably with real sensitivity as are the underlying storylines of child grooming, abuse and domestic violence.

A slow burner but if your able to stick with it its worth read, just give yourself an afternoon of no interruptions and get it done in one sitting!

Present day - a baby is found dead, and the police pathologist points her finger at the young and clearly traumatised mother.
Several years ago - a mother is convicted of murder, convicted by the evidence of that same pathologist.
Thirty five years ago - two abused young girls meet in a care home and form a bond which will connect them for the rest of their lives...

When DS Nell Jackson and her colleague Paul attend an unexpected death scene they expect it to be a tragic case of sudden infant death, only for the pathologist to quickly determine that it's a murder case. Nell is dealing with a new DI, a hotshot catapulted into Thames Valley from the Met, and PTSD from an attack she is desperate to put behind her. Meanwhile Crime Analyst, Carla, is finding herself challenged, by both her DI's expansion of her role and Nell's hostility, while at home her boyfriend is desperate for her to settle down and become a mother. This new and disparate team have to find a way to work together while they investigate just why pathologist, Eve, has accused more mothers of murder than statistically likely and what, if anything, this case has to do with a tragic case of child grooming several decades ago.

The theme of motherhood, thwarted, unwanted, longed for, abandoned, runs through the core of this twisty, intelligent book. The various threads come together in a satisfying climax but only after a heart stopping ride through an Oxford Morse would never recognise, an Oxford of no hopes, homelessness and empty dreams.

This is a beautifully written, timely, sensitive book full of unforgettable characters and a team I hope we get to revisit in a future book (soon!). Put an afternoon aside to read this, because you won't want to put it down. Highly highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book, but it was long and drawn out in places...I skipped parts of it. Overall I enjoyed it.

Omg! I absolutely loved this book! It kept me gripped right from the start and I just couldn’t put it down! Thank you so much to the author and netgalley for the advance copy- I 100% recommend!

This is a story which cannot be read a bit at a time. It requires concentration as it has many characters,some with more than one name and keeps going back in time to bring together the cleverly interwoven story. The central issue,the deaths of children,is sad but it is treated sensitively. The characters are convincing and the reader is kept guessing not so much as who is the key figure but who she really is. The use of a civilian analyst as well as detective's is an interesting and effective addition. This is a good read.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone, for the ARC.
I loved this book. It is extremely well-written, has really good dialogue and great characters, and a Thames Valley civilian crime analyst, Carla Brown, takes centre-stage in this police procedural/crime thriller.
The background is set for us as a mother is convicted of killing her baby - the most damning evidence against her was that given by the Forensic Pathologist. Her conviction is overturned on appeal 2yrs later.

DS Nell Jackson and PC Paul Mackintosh are sent to investigate an infant death in a run-down block of flats. Eve Graham the Lead Forensic Pathologist suggests the mother killed the baby, although the boyfriend Connor denied either he or Kelley-Anne harmed her. Nell Jackson really isn't convinced.

Eve has been receiving threatening letters from someone about her work regarding infant deaths and her propensity for blaming the mothers. Carla Brown pulls out all the stops with the rest of the team to try and find out who's sending them and where they are getting their information from.as the recent death is also mentioned.

We're then taken back 35yrs to when two 11yr-old girls meet on their first day in a care home. Both have been the subject of domestic violence and abuse. Their story is told in the first person of one of the children narrating her relationship with Aoife. The two are inseparable, they love and support each other as no-one else had ever done.

This story takes us into the heart-breaking world of child grooming, sexual abuse and murder, and the mental anguish of mothers accused of killing their own child.

It's a little bit of a slow-burn to start with, but as Carla digs deeper through the intelligence she gathers, she can keep the team safe and direct them to where they are needed, and it really does become a page-turner.
A really good read!