Lisa Cutts has written this book from the heart. It deals with people trafficking in the south of England, the area in which she works as a detective constable. The horrors of this dreadful trade are well described as we follow two "workhorses" as they try to escape from their captivity. In parallel we have the story of an attempted shooting of someone who tried to help an escapee and the police's attempts to protect him. The effects of government cuts to the police service also feature prominently in the book which is well plotted with credible characters and bursts of nerve-racking tension. A must read!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK Fiction for an advance copy of Lost Lives, the third novel to feature DI Harry Powell of East Rise police.

Harry and the team respond to an incident where shots are fired at a flat but fortunately there are no casualties. When it is suggested that the intended victim is people trafficking the team start investigating but with few resources and a growing caseload the investigation is overtaken by other events.

I enjoyed Lost Lives but not as much as the previous novels. I may be unfeeling but it lingered overmuch on the plight of the trafficked workers and not enough on the investigation for my taste. The plight of these poor people is appalling but it's not something I want rammed down my throat when I'm reading for entertainment, especially as the novel does not offer anything new on the subject and I'm sure that I have read some of the situations in another novel (just can't remember which one). The narrative is mostly told from Harry and trafficked worker Anna's points of view but switches to other characters from time to time, making it difficult at times to keep up.

There is, however, a real authenticity to the police actions, constraints and errors which goes a long way to mitigate any other failings in the novel. It portrays a long suffering service doing its best in reduced circumstances with its people being its strongest albeit demoralised asset.

I like DI Harry Powell who is normally a strong leader and good investigator but events overtake him and he starts to show some frailty. He is a very human protagonist.

Lost Lives is an ok read.