The Secret child by Caroline Mitchell was a thriller that kept me hooked from the first page. I enjoyed the first book in this series and was eagerly awaiting this sequel and it did not disappoint.
DI Amy Winters is in a race agents time to find a missing four year old girl.
The kidnapper is in contact with her but is playing a deadly game.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

When four year old Ellen is kidnapped from her bedroom, it becomes clear quite early on her parents aren’t telling the police everything. This kidnapper is on a mission and Ellen was targeted for a reason. But what dark secrets are hiding in the past? Amy and her team find themselves in a race against time to find Ellen before it’s too late.

The Secret Child is the second instalment in the DI Amy Winter series and I felt it was even stronger than its predecessor. The storyline is pretty intense, helped by the fact I could never quite figure out what the kidnapper’s endgame was going to be. There are quite a few parallels throughout, between the kidnapper’s past and Amy’s. Hoping to find some common ground with the kidnapper, can Amy keep her past a secret though?

I must admit that Amy got on my nerves quite a bit this time around. It’s not surprising she has issues, obviously, and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect herself from getting hurt but some of the moments where she was lashing out angered me. I felt like grabbing her and shaking her and telling her to get a grip, focus on what’s what or who’s who. I quite enjoy it when a character can get to me like that though.

Speaking of characters that do that, the character calling himself Luka is one of those as well. Obviously I can’t give anything away but his background is so incredibly devastating, it’s hard not to feel for him. Even if the things he’s doing now are wrong, you understand why he’s doing them. It all begins in the eighties but those events have a lifelong impact on all those who were involved.

With a topic like childhood trauma and its effects, The Secret Child quickly becomes a tense, fascinating and gripping read. This isn’t just your average awesome crime thriller as there’s a remarkable depth and psychology to it that adds that little bit extra. It had me hooked from start to finish and I can’t wait to see where Caroline Mitchell takes this series next.

I've read a number of books by this author and they are all engaging, this one was no exception. The plot is taut and clever, the writing solid and the characters well-developed. Already looking forward to see what Mitchell comes up with next!

Having read Truth and Lies, the first book in this series, this was a must read follow-up for me and although it can be read as an independent story, I recommend that you indulge in both books. Amy is still coming to terms with a horrific past that she still gets flash backs from, with only a few need to know people that she has shared her secret with.
When a phone call comes in from a concerned grandparent reporting her missing grand-daughter Ellen aged four, alarm bells begin to ring as to why the parents haven’t reported it themselves. D.I. Amy Winter has a very uneasy gut instinct that there is more to this than any ‘normal’ kidnapping, especially after meeting the very edgy Nicole, the mother of the little girl and her intimidating husband whose concern for his daughter is pretty flat lined. This is a belting story where a dead man’s name makes nightmares seem like a walk in the park to a small group of people. Beside this belting story line of abducted children, there is also Amy’s personal past winding its way back into her present day life again, as she becomes a modern-day Clarice to a scary as hell Hannibal Lecter substitute. Wow this is one play with your mind lady that you don’t want in your head. My skin really crawled with the smugness of this woman. She is very devious and knows exactly how to play on one particular person’s ego. At this point I was almost pulling my hair out shouting at my book with a real string of blasphemous words like something from the exorcist! My blood was boiling but to see this lady doing what she does best is Oscar-winning. A superb character of sheer brilliance!
There are so many very unlikable characters in this story as the sins of the fathers (and mothers) are falling on their children to bear the brunt of someone’s rage. The story drops back in time, with a menacing build up of sheer horror.
The wheels have been set in motion for more of this outstanding series as Amy’s career has never been under so much pressure while someone else has definitely got her foot in the door…………… frighteningly on the way out!
If you like your books to get under your skin and stay there, then look no further this series is for you, from former detective Caroline Mitchell as she takes you into a real dark place!

Another brilliant book by the hand of one of my favourite authors, and what a subject. Even though Luka had kidnapped the children , my heart went out to him, and you could see from the beginning that Amy felt the empathy too. These sort of experiments should not be done on animals or children, but the lowlifes of this world! That’s my opinion anyway! Poor Luka he really did suffer, strange country, no-one to care for him properly, and no escape.

As the story unfolds Amy is dragged into the headlines, and everyone now knows what went on in her earlier life, and she feels she can’t trust anyone, which gives her an edge with Luka.

I have to say, for once I didn’t see the ending coming either. I’m so looking forward to the next one.

My thanks to Caroline for the ARC. It was a joy to read.

DI Amy Winter is still dealing with information she learned about her deranged birth mother when she is drawn into attempting to solve the kidnapping of Ellen, a four-year-old child. After Ellen disappears, her mother gets a delivery with a threatening note. Surprisingly, she isn’t terribly surprised since she has always feared the past would catch up with the experiments that went on several years ago.

The sender of the package claims to be Luka Volkov, who is supposed to have died long ago in a fire. A fire that several people have tried to bury and forget.

The story and the fire deal with a difficult subject: experimentation on children. Years earlier Luka Volkov came from Russia to England by invite of Dr. Hugh Curtis (the father of the four-year-old who was kidnapped). The promise was of education, food, and opportunity. Luka’s mother, Sasha accompanies him, but his father stays in Russia. He has warned his wife that this offer seems too good to be true and he’s against them going.

DI Amy Winter gathers her team to solve this mystery. But the more she works on it the more it becomes personal and relatable.

When Amy realizes her birth mother might be able to give her some insight into this case, will she reach out to her?

My Thoughts


What Concerned Me: Though this does work as a stand-alone book, I highly recommend that you start with the first book in this series: Truth And Lies. That book gives a lot of history regarding the relationships. Plus, it’s a 5 Star book by my rating! You won’t be disappointed.

What I Liked Most: While I enjoyed this book, and will certainly continue the series, I wasn’t quite as taken by it as the first. But that doesn’t make me any less anxious for the third book to become available! Caroline Mitchell's writing is something you'll want to follow.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer, and Caroline Mitchell, for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *

What a brilliant read this is, even if a little uncomfortable (I am really not keen on having small children as characters) however, this is a must for the story, making it even more hard hitting and real! Believable characters with some great twists, back stabbing and a little romance thrown in for good measure. An absolute all round fantastic read

The Secret Child by Caroline Mitchell. Just Wow....what a twisted story line. Getting to know more about DI Winter and the team. DI Donovan is an interesting addition. Fast paced, twisted and reprehensible "bad guys/gals" and bit of a cliff hanger ending, one case solved with more drama to come. Please write fast Ms Mitchell, ready for the next DI Winter case.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

The Secret Child, a thriller surrounding a detective’s investigation into a kidnapping, but with lots of hidden secrets, and also her own personal life.

Having not read the first novel I found parts about Amy and Lillian confusing but the author recapped the last novel enough times to get the gist of that side of the story.

The main storyline about The Curtis Institute and Luka was interesting and personally I would have liked a bit more detail into his background an motivations whilst it was going on. But overall it was okay.

A solid three stars, was expecting a bit more “thrill” in this thriller but nevertheless a good read.

Ever since I read Truth And Lies (the first book in the DI Amy Winter series), I’ve been eagerly waiting for The Secret Child to be published, and freaking hell it was definitely worth the wait. Amy’s biological parents are notorious serial killers, not the best background for a Detective I must admit! But that’s what makes this series refreshingly original and highly compelling. Before you ask “Yes” The Secret Child could be read as a stand-alone, but would I recommend it? No, personally I think you need to read the books in order, Amy has such a fascinating and original backstory it would be a shame if you didn’t follow her disturbing tale from the beginning.

Amy is the Detective leading the case of the kidnapping of four-year-old girl Ellen, taken from her home in the middle of the night. Days later Ellen’s mother receives a parcel, along with a note, nothing strange about that you may think but the person who sent the parcel has been dead for years! Told across two timelines the author reveals a sorry tale, but my god it made for a nail-biting, heart thumping read. Although I would never condone kidnapping, I couldn’t help but feel empathy for a character whose own tortured childhood shaped the adult they become.

This book is as much about the characters as it is about the crimes committed, the author has created some fabulous characters, Amy, the kidnapper and her serial killer mother all added to my overall enjoyment of this read. Even from behind prison bars Amy’s evil mother Lillian Grimes continues to manipulate Amy and those around her, she’s one twisted mother ****** that’s for sure, and yet I couldn’t help being fascinated and disgusted in equal measures by her character, what makes a mother turn into a feared killer? How can she possibly consider herself to be a victim? Amy has her flaws like many a fictional Detective, but it’s hardly surprising when you consider who her parents are! The author gives an in-depth insight into Amy character, as she reveals more details of Amy’s very disturbing past, you can’t help but feel her pain and confusion, her constant dissecting of her personality looking for any psychopathic traits she may have inherited from her parents.

There is so much I loved about this book, the characters, the plot which draws on real events making it even more shocking, the shifting between past and present. Add to the fact The Secret Child is one of those reads that reels you in with a promising prologue and keeps you in its grips with an intense and captivating read, it’s definitely a series I would recommend to crime thriller lovers. I’m eager to see where Caroline Mitchell’s twisted imagination takes her next, and that’s the beauty of her writing no two books are the same, so roll on the next book which I will read come hell or high water.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Recently, DI Amy Winter has had a very bad, awful, no good time of it. Her beloved father has died. Amy then found he was her adoptive dad, and that she was the child of Britain’s most notorious serial killers; Jack and Lillian Grimes, the Beasts of Brentwood. To add to her joy, her finance cheated on her the day before the wedding. He then aids her jailed mother in further tearing her life apart. To add to the fun, some planted evidence in the Beasts case may help free Lillian. Her birth family being rediscovered, with one exception is another nightmare.
In The Secret Child Amy can only feel life is looking up when Dr Hugh and Nicole Curtis’s four year old child, Ellen, is kidnapped. This is what Amy does. She finds people, she handles high profile murders. She has always thought she had an affinity for the darkness of others. Now she knows why and she decides to fully embrace her former self, four year old Poppy Grimes, to keep others from suffering.
The story is told in alternating time-lines, the recent story of the kidnapping, then the older story of the thought-to-be dead kidnapper, Luka Volkov losing of his soul, as a victim of Dr Curtis and others.
A second child, Toby, is taken. Wheel-chair bound Toby is the son of a former employee of Dr Curtis at his facility where Luka spent time as a child.
Concerning the second child, a star is being deducted because there is a huge information gap. Amy suddenly has knowledge of the second kidnapping without any clue to the reader of how she gained this knowledge. A child being taken would garner a huge amount attention, but nothing is said about this. Just suddenly Amy asks to speak to Toby in a phone call from the kidnapper. I reread this section of the book several times, and consulted with another reviewer. Nope, no explanation.
Mitchell develops especially inventive plot lines, dealing with grotesqueries we would rather not confront. Using a four year old child as bait to commit psycho sexual murders? Check. (view spoiler) Giving parents the choice of drinking poison to save their child? Check. Oh yeah, Mitchell can do it all.
The Secret Child is all about the story, not so much the characters, although the villains are terrific. Amy is a prickly pear, pushing friends away; she might pay for this in the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review
1 like

DI Amy Winter is back! This book I can honestly say is nothing like I have read in awhile. The story line is so different then anything I have read. It wasn't your typical mystery of who is the serial killer. Luka is out for revenge but is he a killer? Every time you think you have it all figured out believe me you don't! There is a totally shocking conclusion to this book. I enjoyed this book alot it kept me interested. Amy Winter is a great character and the story line kept me captivated. Love this series and hope there is many more books to come in the future. Loved it!

Caroline Mitchell is an amazing thriller/suspense writer. I immediately get sucked into every single one of her books. DCI Amy Winter is one of my favorite police procedural books lately. I generally read these types of books and through the first 1/3 to 2/3 am bored out of my but never ever does that happen with Caroline Mitchell’s books and even more so with DCI Amy Winter’s two stories this far.

I realized on Monday that I needed to have this read by Thursday, preferably a bit earlier so I could write a coherent review too, I stayed up into the night reading until the very last page! This is a fabulous story! This is a story nightmares are made of for parents. Your daughter is taken right outta her home. The two parents seem to be keeping secrets. There’s flashbacks that go back in time to help us understand and see the larger picture of Ellen’s abduction. I was just entranced I go the story with the way Mitchell sets the story up and unfolds it oh so achingly slowly so you can feel the buildup.

I was pleasantly surprised that we did get some personal info on DCI Amy Winters and her crazy momma but it wasn’t a retelling of the first book. However, I did like catching up. I really like how Mitchell gives us these personal touches but still makes this story about the kidnapping. The Secret Child is just what I’ve come to expect from Caroline Mitchell. Perfect writing with her claws sinking right into me.

I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.

I am always excited when there is a new book by Caroline Mitchell to read! They never disappoint and The Secret Child is no exception. This is the second book in the DI Amy Winter series and I hope there will be many more to come.
You could read this as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading book 1 first as there are aspects of the story which follow on. This book does feature a different investigation though and this one was extremely chilling. I felt the tension throughout as Amy and her team race against time to save the lives of two children who have been caught up in one man's determination to seek revenge. How can this man be who he says he is though, as he is supposed to have died in a fire years before! The team really do have a mystery on their hands and they have absolutely no time to waste in trying to figure it out before anyone else gets hurt.
An absolutely gripping crime thriller/police procedural by one of my most favourite writers. Very cleverly written, as always. Full of suspense and highly emotional. You can't help but feel some empathy towards the kidnapper as his story unfolds, although his actions could never be condoned. I can't even begin to imagine the suffering he endured as a child. I truly hope this sort of thing has never happened in the real world, but I feel it probably has somewhere at some point in time, sadly.
Amy Winter is one of my favourite detectives. She is passionate about her job, but struggles with the truth of her biological parentage and how it impacts on her as a professional adult. She is flawed and this makes her very real. Her quirks are quite understandable and make her very believable although I have no idea how I would feel/react in her situation. Her circumstances make her a very unique character, especially given that she is a detective. The whole concept is quite fascinating and I can't wait to see where her story goes in Book 3.
I can see this series going from strength to strength and I'm very much looking forward to catching up with DI Amy Winter, and her team, again.
Many thanks to Caroline Mitchell for my ARC via Netgalley. I highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this book and love this series.
Amy has a dark secret and a few close to her know about her past, but thanks to her twisted mother, who is in prison, everyone finds out her secrets.
Lillian is not seen as a mother in Amy’s eyes as she was fostered from age five, and she tries to put her early years behind her.
Lilian is manipulative though and gets her story in the papers much to Amy’s horror.
Whilst this is happening two children have been kidnapped and the killer is playing games with Amy.
He uses her past to try and worm his way round her and the newspaper article helps him to do this.
We get flashback episodes to the past when Luka was used by Dr Curtis to test drugs, and whilst it’s heartbreaking to read, it doesn’t excuse what he does.
Luka wants to play games with Amy up until the end but Amy becomes wise to his plan and it’s a race against time to find the children.
This is a great crime thriller and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Have read and enjoyed all of Caroline's books. This series/character isn't my favourite but would still recommend it to everyone.

Caroline Mitchell has o e if the best imaginations and experience to write crime books.

Amy winter is strong and powerful and she always shows so much I'm how she works
Love this book and the characters

I really enjoyed this. It’s clear that this is part of a series, but I was able to follow everything as a new reader - plus, I want to go back and read the previous novel. The author did well conveying a sense of urgency, particularly at the beginning when describing the intruder. I felt some of the descriptions were long and winding, but overall, it was a good story.

As a thriller fan, every time I see Caroline Mitchell's name pop up my heart skips a beat. She has become one of my trusted thriller authors and her stories haven't failed to entertain me yet... Last year I was able to meet a new detective with a fascinating past, DI Amy Winter, and it's time for a second date in The Secret Child. I have a weird obsession with serial killer stories and the main character's past is definitely one of the things that stands out most in this new detective thriller series. Things can be said about her difficult past and flawed personal life being quite cliche, but Lillian will get under your skin and will give Amy Winter an original twist. The writing is more than solid, draws you right in and will make you reach the final page before you know it. It's something I've become used to with Caroline Mitchell's thrillers and one of the reasons I would pick up one of her titles without even reading the blurb first. The Secret Child has a fascinating premise though and I love that part of the plot is set in the past and in the Soviet Union at that. This international twist makes the plot all the more interesting and gives the story an original touch. Past and present are mixed in a way that adds maximum suspense and intrigue about what really happened to Luka and the other children all those years ago. There are quite a lot of different elements in the story, with the 1984-1985 flashbacks, the present kidnapping and Lillian Grimes... I did feel they were better balanced than in the first installment, and the story will definitely have some plot twist bombs and surprises for you in store. All in all I had a great time reading The Secret Child and I'm already looking forward to discover what will happen next.

DI Amy Winters is back again and this time she has to investigate a twisted case and try to hold her life together. Amy is different kind of detective, you see, her parents were notorious serial killers. This is something that she recently found out and has been trying to keep a secret. However, it is not so easy especially since her birth mom is trying to ruin her life from behind prison walls.

The current case is presented through two timelines. One timeline takes us back twenty years ago and the second follows the events after Ellen’s disappearance. The two timelines helped in building the case. They made this different from most cases because they added a ‘humane’ angle to the villain. My heart was broken by the past narration while the present timeline had me curious about the case. How far will the villain go? Will the kids survive? How will Amy solve the case?

This was a fast-pace, entertaining read. Amy is great lead detective and I love how her back-story. I think that her personal life actually adds to the tension in the narrative without taking focus away from the main story-line.
For lovers of crime thrillers, this is definitely a series that you can’t afford to miss.

Intense, captivating, twisty and surprisingly poignant, The Secret Child is a great addition to the DI Amy Winters series. I can’t wait to read the next book already.