If you are into crime thrillers it would be hard to go past this book. Carla Brown, a crime analyst, and DS Nell Jackson investigate the suspected murder of a baby in which the mother is accused due to forensic evidence provided by Eve who is known for her thorough work.

However it is not long before the open and shut case starts to feel wrong leading Carla to look at other cases of child murder convictions in which Eve was the forensic scientist. This leads us back thirty-five years in time where two teenage girls are involved in a murder and missing baby case.

This is a book that I devoured in two nights. The plot is carefully thought out and touches on deep themes of mothering, loss and psychological damage. It also shows how justice is often hard to come by. While it is plot driven it is not at the expense of characterisation which makes this a great crime thriller. It grabs you from the get-go and keeps you engaged until the end. I could not fault this work so congratulations to the author and I look forward to reading her work in the future.

If there is one word that can sum up my feelings about this book, it is confusing. Initially, it felt as though I was reading the second book in a series and I had to double check that this wasn't the case. The plot was also split between 'then' and 'now' and it wasn't entirely clear that this was the case to start with. (I think one of the headings was missing from the chapter). There were also names = lots of names - thrown into the plot that didn't seem to bear any resemblance to what was happening at that point in time. The plot felt as though it needed a really good edit if I am honest. For example, one character would tell a second character to lock the third character in a room. A page later the second character would ask where the third character was????

Now I've got that off my chest, the plot that involved grooming and child abuse were handled really well. It was never gratuitous and felt really well handled. It came as no surprise that the psychological pain of what happened to these girls reverberated through the years and manifested itself the way that it did. (Trying not to spoil anything for anyone).

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Like some other reviewers I found this book at times to be a little confusing but - stick with it. Concentration on the characters is quite essential with the twists and turns of the plot and the changes of names, identities and lives over 35 years. With that concentration the identity of two of the main characters is perhaps given away a little bit too early? While the story of the main protagonist could be considered a little far fetched (but not impossible) the interest also lies in the crime analysis work the author writes from her own experience.
Overall a good read which shows promise for any future reading this author may produce. Would like to give 3.5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity to give an honest review.

I nearly gave up on this book. Within its scope are issues of child loss, repeated miscarriage, grooming and child abuse- any of which may be very upsetting for some readers. At the start it feels very confusing as pieces of the past are regularly inserted into the text, and they’re disorientating. Gradually these pieces are woven together with the present case and the fragments build up in your mind to make a clear picture. I guessed the full back story some way from the end but there were still twists to follow. I’m really glad I persevered as ultimately, I was really drawn into the narrative and needed to know how it would end.
Skilfully written, I would definitely recommend this book to those who won’t be triggered by its themes. I would happily read more by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5* This story is a web of tales carefully woven together to a breath stopping conclusion. The two young and damaged girls in the care home are described so vividly, your heart aches for their souls. But 35 years on a team of able police colleagues are desperately trying to untangle the web of deceit to save a life. With each chapter at the start describing the past and the present alternately, it is definitely worth sticking with it as the story comes together with thrilling action and detail. A great read.
ARC copy.

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.

Nice book, but the dialogue can get confusing. The storyline is a great one. I wish a bit more editing was done on the characters' dialogue

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!

Took me awhile to settle into the book, lots of "different" characters, story starts with 2 girls in care who are groomed and sexually abused and follows on with one of them as an adult. A book you need to sit quietly and concentrate on, not an easy read but compelling all the same. The ending is quite unexpected but in another way obvious.

I was given an advance copy of this book by Penguin to give an honest review and I found it to be absolutely brilliant. The novel is about two young girls who are taken into care having already been sexually abused by family members and how they are befriended by a local cafe owner who also sexually abuses them. One of the girls becomes pregnant and is murdered by the cafe owner the other escapes, changes her name and starts to lead a normal life as a Forensic Pathologist. The role of the Police Analyst is also very much in evidence within the book and shows what role they have in the modern police.

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.