When I read The Lying Room by this imaginative husband and wife writing team (Nicci Gerrard & Sean French), I loved it so much that I was determined to read another crime thriller by them soon. This time I chose the first in a series they have written featuring psychotherapist Frieda Klein.
The newspapers report the abduction of five year old Matthew Farraday, a story that has the police in high gear and the nation on the lookout. There is also a similar unsolved case from 20 years earlier, which continues to rankle. When one of Frieda’s patients relates dreams in which he hungers for a child, a child exactly matching Matthew’s description, she goes to the police. Detective Chief Karlsson wants evidence, not suspicions, but eventually he begins to pay attention and the two begin to work together to solve the crime and rescue Matthew.
Frieda is an interesting and multi-layered character so I’m glad she is central to the series, as is the Detective. Despite a slow start, there are some shocking twists and turns and a clever ending that I did not see coming (should have), and I will definitely carry on with this crime series set in an atmospheric London. It reads like watching a British drama on Netflix. It’s easy to read, kept me on the edge of my seat, and has a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour at play which offers a bit of relief from the darkness. But I must admit to feeling discomfort with the child abduction topic, so if this is particularly triggering for you, do not read this book.
Joanne's Reading Blog 